Angel Of Mine
by JessiCAT1989
Summary: His crimson eyes searched her over... Raine was pregnant...Could it possibly be his child?... RaineXKratos!
1. Beginning

He guys! malikslover here! I kind of lost my old account, so I had to make a new one....oops!

Anyway, this is my first fic in a while, and, I hope its somewhat decent.

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own anything, k? =P

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------Chapter One-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was a busy morning in the bustling town of Iselia; Raine could feel it in the air. It seemed as though today would be the day of prophecy, as foretold by the village priests. In other words, the beginning of Colette's long journey that would ultimately end in....-no. She couldn't think of that. A knock was heard at the door, startling the young woman. Raine quickly shoved the thought from her mind, as she touched the cold doorknob with her fingers, almost flinching from the icy feel of the metal. Opening the door, She found Genis, her younger brother, waiting patiently, as always.

"Hey, sis! You ready to go?" The young half elf asked.

"Sure. Just let me grab my bag."

"K. But, Raine, we have to hurry. School starts in a half hour."

Raine just nodded her head in response, snatching the bag from the floor, next to her unmade bed. She could feel Genis's eyes creep to the messy state of her room. She knew it bothered her younger brother when she neglected her housekeeping.

"Come on, Genis. Let's go." She prompted before he could say anything.

Genis followed, a reluctant manner to his stride. Walking through the village, the siblings were greeted by various villagers, shouting their 'good morning's and 'how are you's. It almost seemed to Raine that everyone had forgotten the date. The atmosphere of her surroundings was too at ease for anyone to realize the young girl they had all come to love, would be leaving that day, never to return.....

Raine forced the thought from her mind once more, as the two had reached the school house. Of course, none of her students were present yet. Probably savoring the remainder of their morning. Students were so....indifferent to learning. Of course this seemed odd to the professor. Reading books, and going off to school were her greatest enjoyments as a child. Though, most those days were a blur to her now.....

"Raine, are you ever going to open the door?" Genis's voice rang, shattering her thoughts.

Jumping a bit at the sharp question, the young woman nodded her head. "Yes. I'm sorry, Genis. I guess I'm still not fully awake, yet." Fumbling through her pack, she soon felt the hard silver of the key, clutching it in her hand, and inserting it into the lock. She could hear the shifting of metal as the lock disengaged. Once inside, the silver-haired woman almost jogged to her desk, rushing to stack her lesson papers in the correct order.

Genis sat in his assigned seat, his aqua eyes rested on the window, the sound of shuffling papers present in his ears.

About twenty minutes later, when Raine had laid the last sheet in its appropriate place, the first student strode in, followed by another, and then another. Soon, the classroom was filled with the less than eager students, as they socialized, slowly making their way to their appropriate seats.

"All right, class," Raine said, interrupting the chitchat in the room. "Open your textbooks to page seventy-two. Today we're going to be studying about the origins of mana."

A unison of groans rose in the air, causing Raine to roll her eyes. But, she remained silent, shifting her gaze to each student, waiting for them to flip to the correct page.

"Does anyone know the name of the mythical plant that was said to produce the mana?"

Watching the students almost sink into their chairs, the half elf could feel her mood drifting from her current drowsy state, to that of irritation. That is, until she saw a certain brunette boy's hand fly up in the air.

Raine could almost feel stars appearing in her eyes, as she nodded in his direction.

"Lloyd, do you know the answer?"

The brunette raised a brow at the woman. "Uh.....no....I wanted to know if I could be excused for a moment. I need to go to the bathroom."

Raine smacked a hand to her forehead, losing all hope in her skills as a teacher. "Lloyd, do you realize that if this attitude continues in my classroom, you will still be in the seventh grade when you are twenty years old?"

Lloyd seemed unphazed by the question. His violet eyes stayed locked on the woman, pressing for an answer.

The professor could feel her indigo eyes roll in her head as she answered. "You may go, after my question is answered." She then turned to the rest of the class, trying desperately to remain hopeful that someone had done their reading the previous night.

Raine was thankful when Colette's hand slowly raised.

"Yes, Colette. Please tell me you know the answer."

The blonde nodded her head, standing to her feet. "Its called 'The Great Seed', right?"

The silver-haired woman nodded her head, her mouth elongating into a satisfied smile. "Yes, Colette. You are correct. You may be seated."

As the chosen seated herself once more, Raine could see out of the corner of her eye, Lloyd's hand shoot through the air.

"And yes, Lloyd, you may go."

The brown-haired boy grinned, shooting up from his seat, and almost sprinting to the door.

"But, Lloyd, you had better come back this time!" Raine shouted after him.

He had almost made it to the exit, as a glaring light shot in through the windows, blinding the entire classroom, and causing an uproar among the students.

Once the light had faded, and her eyes had adjusted, Raine held a hand in the air, quieting her students. "All right, class. It seems today, as the priests predicted, is the day of prophecy. Stay here while I go to the chapel." She instructed. Her gaze then floated to an anxious Colette. "Colette, stay here, all right? The priests will come get you when it is time." And with that, the teacher jogged out the door, making her way to the temple.

Finally making it to the rather large structure, the woman could hear the clinking of armor, accompanied by the sound of thrashing blades.

Something definitely was going on....Raine's legs were almost a blur, as she raced up the many steps, to the chapel.

She almost could not believe her eyes. Everywhere lay corpses of priests. "Oh my....."

"Watch out!" A voice commanded.

Raine turned her head to find a man clad in mysterious armor just a few feet from her, ready to strike.

Within an instant, a wave of energy appeared, tearing through the ground, knocking the soldier to the ground.

The teacher's gaze shifted to the direction in which the attack had come from. There, she found a man with crimson hair, in which a chunk hid half his face. His eyes, which bore into her own, where a deep violet color. He sported a dark blue-almost purple suit, with belts around the waist. His sword, still unsheated, hung at his side, clenched in one hand.

"Th-thank you...." Raine heard her own, still shaken voice ring out.

The man just sheathed his sword, folding his arms across his chest, glaring at the dead enemy on the ground. "You need to be more aware of your surroundings." Came the man's gruff voice.

Raine furrowed a brow at the man, almost insulted at his tone.

"Professor!"

Raine knew that voice....it couldn't be.....

"Professor! Are you all right?"

The woman turned her head cautiously, only to find Lloyd, Colette and.....Genis....

Of course she had expected Lloyd to be the one to disregard her warning. Which, also meant Colette would follow. But, to have her own brother undermind her authority was just.....insulting.

"What are you three doing here?" She demanded, her eyes tightening towards the targets of her question.

"Lord Botta! There she is! Its the chosen of mana!"

_Of course....._Raine thought to herself, her gaze flashing in the direction of the enterance to the temple. There, standing, pointing an accusing finger in Colette's way, stood, yet another soldier. _Of course something would come up before I get to punish those three......_

Raine fumbled around, trying to find her pack. But, of course, in her rush to check the status of the temple, she had left it, laying in her chair.

_Damn! I'm going to have to use my magic....._

"Stand back...."

Raine's eyes turned up to see the stranger who had saved her earlier, stepping towards the gathering opponents.

Lloyd, now in protective mode, made his way to the enterance as well, stopping just a few feet from the mysterious swordsman.

"Get back." Came the man's stern voice once more.

"No way. I can fight as well."

_Stubborn as always....._

Instinctively, Raine ran towards Genis and Colette, pushing the two behind her form. "Just stay behind me, you two." She told them, in a gentle voice.

The teacher watched as the man shook his head, but, protested no more.

Soon, a man with dark hair appeared, pushing through all the armored men. "Damn.....you're here...." He then turned his attention to the men at the ready. "Let us retreat for now. We can always come after the chosen again....."

Before either swordsman in front could protest, the small army was now racing back into the temple; no doubt planning to escape through the back enterance.

"Ah. Sir Kratos. You came." Raine heard a familiar voice observe.

The group turned to find Phaidra now standing at the top of the stairs behind them.

"Yes. Forgive me for coming so late." The man stated, once again putting his sword away.

Colette cocked her head to the side in a puzzled manner. "Grandmother, you know him?"

"Yes. I had hired him to come on the day of prohecy to accompany you on your journey. But, it seems as though there has been more excitement than that today."

_Excitement....isn't the word for it....._

_-------------------------------------------------------------------------------_End Of Chapter One-------------------------------------------------

Hope you enjoyed it so far! I should have another chapter up soon! =P

Please review! Let me know if you liked it!


	2. Reminder

Ooooo! I'm BAAAAAaaaaaaackkkk!!!!!!!!

=P

Enjoy chapter two!

Disclaimer: I own nothing. =P

-------------------------------------------------------------Chapter Two------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kratos could feel his patience wearing thin. He watched as this boy he had previously learned to be called Lloyd, argued with a small half elf, named Genis. The swordsman sighed, folding his arms across his chest.

"Children. If you can not behave, then I will be forced to ask you to leave. If you had not noticed, this chapel is littered with monsters." He stated, gesturing towards the rustic interior of the temple. His deep violet eyes then set on Lloyd. "Was it not you who nearly begged to come along?"

He watched as the brunette glared back, the equally deep violet orbs bearing into Kratos's. He seemed to struggle with some sort of reply, but, none came. Finally, his mouth opened to speak. "F....fine....."

"Come on, Lloyd! Genis!" The chosen chirped, grasping Lloyd's hand in her own.

"Humph." Was all Kratos could muster up, as he turned, and led the three deeper into the temple.

After what seemed like an eternity to the mercenary, it seemed as though the four had come to the last stop. There, on the top floor of the cathredral, they faced an angel. Remiel; the one sent to lead the chosen on her journey of regeneration. Having had the cruxis crystal placed around the blonde's neck, Kratos listened as she asked Remiel of her heritage. Ultimately, the discussion led to the theory of Remiel fathering the girl.

Remiel then disappeared, after shooting hints of the location of the next seal.

"Wow, Colette! That....'whatchamajigger' stone looks awesome on you!" Lloyd exclaimed excitedly.

Genis furrowed a brow at his friend, crossing his arms in a disappointed manner. "Lloyd....its called a 'cruxis crystal'...."

"Let us be going, chosen." Kratos heard himself say.

"R-right! Coming!" The blonde shouted.

The crimson-haired man, not being too keen on waiting, stepped onto the transporter. In an instant, he was back on the ground floor.

Soon, the chosen joined him.

"I will escort you back to your house."

"K-k! Thank you....."

Upon exiting the building, there, standing outside, stood Genis's elder sister, Raine.

Spotting the two, the young woman darted towards them.

"Where's Genis? Is he all right?"

Kratos watched as the chosen's features broke into a reassuring smile. "Yeah! He and Lloyd are still inside."

The teacher's blue eyes then shifted to Kratos in a questioning manner, and then, she was racing into the temple.

Kratos felt a strange sensation from the young woman's stare.

_That woman.....she.....no. I have a job to do. I can not waste time thinking of such things. _

"Take me to your house."

The young girl nodded her head in response, then, led the man in the direction of the town.

All the while, on the way back to the chosen's home, Kratos was lost in his thoughts. Something about that woman kept her in his mind. But, what could it be. Was it the fact that she was a half elf living in a village of humans? Was it the look she gave him before disappearing into the temple?

What was it?

And then, as escort led him to the porch of her home, it hit him.....

_She reminds me of....her....._

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------End Of Chapter Two-------------------------------------------------------------------

I know. I know. I left off at a stupid part. But, I have to keep it mysterious. =P

Please read and review to let me know somebody is actually reading this....

=P

Thank you!!!!!


	3. Bitter Feelings

Yay! I'm back with chapter three!!!!

I am so glad for the reviews I have gotten so far! Thank you all so much! I greatly appreciate it!!!!

Please keep reading, and reviewing to let me know how you like it. And, if you have any suggestions, I am open to them. =]

Disclaimer: I own nothing. =P

Now! On with the story, shall we?

-----------------------------------------------------------------Chapter Three------------------------------------------------------------------------

A week had passed since the group had departed the comfort of Iselia to begin the journey of Regeneration, and Raine could feel Colette's heart sink with every step. She knew it was difficult for her student to have left her family....not to mention Lloyd. There was a connection between the two; no one could doubt that. And, Colette knew she would never see the brunette boy again.

As for Kratos....he was a different story. Of course Raine had not known the man long, but, Raine had a gift of reading people well; though, that gift seemed to fail her now. The swordsman was silent for a great deal of the day; only speaking when completely necessary. The teacher couldn't tell whether the man had any attachments in any city. He was handsome, Raine had to admit. So, was there no woman special to him?

He was a quiet man, which made Raine uncomfortable traveling alongside him. Not much interaction occured between the the three, though, oddly, Raine sometimes caught him peering over in her direction, ever so slightly. This was a bit of a disturbance to the young school teacher. What was so interesting about her?

"Professor? Where are you going?"

Raine's head snapped back in the direction of the voice, ripping from her thoughts.

"Ah, Colette. Forgive me. I forgot we were stopping for camp here."

She could hear Kratos let out a heavy, agitated sigh, as he removed his pack, and laid it on the ground.

"Ms. Sage, would you accompany me in gathering fire wood?"

This caught Raine off guard for the moment. Usually, she and Colette would go alone in search of logs, or sticks to be used for a campfire. But, today, Kratos wished to go in search with her. Raine's eyes fluttered to Colette for a moment, in an anxious manner.

"The chosen will be fine on her own for the moment." The mercenary's voice rang out, obviously having noticed the concern etched into Raine's features, as she shot a glance at the blonde girl.

"Y-yes...." Raine finally said, following the crimson-haired man.

Raine turned her head in the direction of Colette, an apologetic look on her face. The blonde just shot the woman a reasurring smile in response, waving her off.

The two walked in silence for the next five minutes, slowly approaching a small forest. Raine could feel her body tense at the lack of words being exchanged between the two.

Finally, Kratos broke the silence. "Ms. Sage....I can assure you that you will lose your life on this journey, unless you learn to become more aware of your surroundings. Our job is to protect the chosen; not to stare off into space, blissfully unaware of our surroundings."

The school teacher just stared at the man before her, in amazement, stopping dead in her tracks. Upon hearing the ceasing of the elf's foot steps, Kratos came to a halt as well, turning to face her.

"Excuse me, Mr. Aurion, but, you need not concern yourself with me. I know how to take care of myself. Allow me to apologize for becoming such an inconvenience to you."

Raine could see the man before her, as his body froze, apparently not expecting her to react in such a way.

_Unbelievable....._She thought to herself, striding past the mercenary, still in pursuit of firewood.

"Ms. Sage, all I am attempting to do is to help you become aware of how dangerous it can be to space out while guarding the chosen of mana. There are desians out there, and I can not afford to waste time protecting you, when my job is in fact to guard the chosen."

Whirling around, Raine found her legs carrying her to stand right in front of Kratos, her forefinger stabbing through the air, stopping just in front of his face.

"Then might I advise you to not look after me? I am an adult as well. Do not forget that, Mr. Aurion." And with that, the silver-haired woman was storming off further into the forest, leaving a startled Kratos on his own.

_The nerve of that man....._

Raine could feel her head shake from side to side in aggravation from the conversation.

Heavy in thought, Raine didn't realize how far she had strayed into the forest, until she stumbled upon a small river flowing throw. Her eyes wandered amongst the trees in a panicked motion.

_Oh no....I'm lost! I have to call for help....._

As Raine began to open her mouth, she immediately ceased in her action, her pride not allowing her to seek help from Kratos.

_All right....all I have to do is walk back the way I came.....Oh.....yes.....I was too deep in thought to realize the course in which I was taking....._

A few more moments passed as the school teacher internally debated her options, until she decided to try and find her way out of the forest.

_I can do this. I can find my way out....._

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hours had passed since Raine had disappeared into the forest, which, to Kratos's instincts, did not bode well. He had since joined the chosen back at the campsite, and had lit a fire. Upon his return, the blonde had pestered him as to her teacher's whereabouts.

After a few mutterings of an explanation, and the occasional glare shot in the girl's direction, the chosen had decided to rest.

She had been fast asleep for at least two hours, which would leave Raine's missing at about three, going on four.

Kratos began to worry, becoming anxious at the thought of the young woman's demise. Of course there were desians after the group, or robbers. No place was safe, especially not for a woman.

_I must find her._

Mind made up, the swordsman shot one final gaze in the chosen's direction, then sped off towards the forest holding Raine captive....

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------End Of Chapter Three--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I know, this chapter kind of sucked. But, I needed to get this part written so the next chapter will be good!

Please review!!!!!


	4. Lost and Anxious

K! Here goes chapter four!

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

K! Hope you enjoy! Please review, and let me know what you want to see happen!

--------------------------------------------------------Chapter Four-----------------------------------------------

Raine's legs pulsated with pain, and exhaustion, as she stumbled along the woods. She was sure she had passed this point dozens of times previously. But, she had to keep trying.

Searching desperately for an opening from her emerald prison, the young half elf failed to hear the rustling of brush behind her.

_I just have to get out of here....Colette needs me!_

"Hey, lady. Where do you think you're going?"

Raine froze. She could feel every muscle in her body tense, despite the radiating ache running through her body. She could hear the cracking of fallen branches as the stranger stepped closer in her direction.

Whirling around to face her intruder, she was face to face with a man masked by cloth hiding his face, only allowing his eyes to be seen. His large form was encased in a baggy white shirt, with the collar cut out in a frayed attempt at a v-shape. His pants, which seemed to have intended on presenting a navy color, had been stained an unseeming brown. Probably from the mud in the forest, Raine guessed. He held a rather large knife with knicks in the blade in one hand, obviously prepared to use it. Either this man lived somewhere nearby, or he awaited his prey-which, Raine now seemed to have become.

"Wh-what do you want?" She demanded, feeling her legs carrying her in a reverse maneuver.

Her current antagonist remained silent, a hand reaching up to the cloth wrapped around his face. Once he had removed his makeshift mask, Raine could see his carmel-toned face break into a sly grin, yellow teeth gleaming in the moonlight. Beads of anticipating sweat formed on his forehead, as they slowly trickled down, landing on his already stained shirt. He continued to pursue his new-found toy- obviously amused by the trepidation clearly written on her face.

_I need to get out of here!_

With that, Raine jerked her body back, facing the direction opposite of the stranger. Unfortunately for her, the man was quicker.

Raine could feel a firm hand grip her wrist. Another landed itself on her cheek, wrenching it back towards his direction, forcing her to look at him once more. This time, his dirty face was only inches away from hers, the grin still planted on his lips.

"Ah, ah, ah...."

His breath stung her nose, racked with the smell of alcohol.

Once more, she could feel her feet carrying her away from him, though, this time, he was attached, his fist still clenched around her tiny arm. But, soon, Raine could hear the hard thump of her body slamming into the trunk of a rather ample tree. She could feel the rough edges of the bark piercing at her lower back.

A gasp made its way out of her slightly parted lips upon the obstacle standing in her way from escaping.

Her assailant then raised the knife, smile growing wider, as he plunged it into her leg.

A cry of pain errupted from the half-elf's mouth, as her free hand clenched to her upper leg, not fully reaching to her shin, where the blade still resided. Her crystal blue eyes shifted themselves courageously from the laceration, to the aggressor. The man's lips twisted further upward, revealing his amber teeth once more.

He then yanked the dagger from her shin, then raised it in the air, the moonlight beaming down at Raine in a cruel manner.

Raine let out a small whimper, despite herself, as she jerked her head away from the scene, pressing her face into her arm.

The man grasped her by the throat with his other hand, pressing her harder against the tree.

"No! Stop!" She screeched, snapping her head back towards the intruder, watching as he reached his large, tan hands to her coat, severing it from her body with the assistance of his knife.

Raine tightly shut her eyes, refusing to watch the crazed man's greedy expression as undressed her. A few tears burned, as they formed at the base of her bottom eyelid, slowly spilling out, and running down her cheeks.

"Stop!" A familiar voice rang out, causing the man to halt in his actions. Luckily, only Raine's overshirt had been removed, as well as her orange overcoat that lay in shreds on the forest floor.

Raine's eyes shot open, and quickly darted in the direction of the voice, spotting a certain crimson-haired man.

_Wh-what is he......_

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~End of Chapter Four~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sorry guys. I know it took forever, but, I had to get some new ideas.

Hope you enjoy!

Tell me what you think. =]


	5. Unanticipated Rescue

Hey guys. Sorry about the delay. I've been pretty busy with school, and spring cleaning. Woot for spring.

Anyway, here goes chapter 5.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Chapter 5~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The man just stood in place, still gripping the young half elf's arm.

"Who are you?" He demanded, shock evident in his voice.

"Get away from her." Was his only reply.

Raine could feel her arm twist in an awkward fashion, as her assailant turned to better face Kratos.

"What are you goin to do about it if I don't?"

Kratos just stood there, his dark eyes narrowing.

Unfortunately, this did not seem to intimidate the drunkard clenched to Raine's arm. His grip tightened, as he glared back. "What, is she your girl?" He asked, staggering a bit as he let out an obnoxious chortle.

"I suggest you run now, or, I can not guarantee you will be leaving this forest alive."

This comment sent a chill down Raine's spine. She could hear the distinct rage in the tone of his voice.

For a moment, the stranger just stood there, hand still attached to Raine's wrist. She began to think she would witness a rather messy battle between the two. But, then, to her surprise, the man tossed her wrist out of his hand, causing it to knock back into the trunk she was pressed against. "Fine. You can have her!" He yelled, his words slurring together in a jumbled mess. He then stormed off, staggering more and more as he attempted to stomp out of the forest.

Kratos watched him leave, until he disappeared into the forest.

He then fixed his brown orbs on the young woman.

"Let us be going, then."

Raine nodded hesistantly, as she gathered what was left of her overshirt, and coat.

She let out a small sigh, as she stood to her feet. "My clothes....." She said, her crystal eyes focused on them.

Kratos shook his head, a small chuckle escaping his lips.

Raine's head snapped up, a look of shock plastered on her face. "What?"

The crimson-haired man folded his arms across his chest, looking at the woman thoughtfully. "I just find it odd that you are more concerned with your ripped clothing, than the life you almost lost."

Raine just rolled her eyes. "Well, I brought nothing else along. And, I am quite confident I could have gotten away alive." She shut her eyes, as head cocked up in a defiant manner.

Kratos smirked. "Well, then I will make sure not to interfere next time." And with that, the man was headed back in the direction he had come.

The silver-haired half elf stood there for a moment, just staring blankly ahead of her, allowing her frustration to dissipate, as she then began to follow.

_The nerve of that man....no wonder Lloyd got so aggravated at him in the temple._

As she trudged on, Raine became so lost in her thoughts, she did not notice that she had caught up to Kratos, until she felt her arms collide with the man's back.

Kratos abruptly halted, and the young half elf was afraid of his reaction.

To her further surprise, when he turned to face her, his features did not show anger, but faint concern.

"Be careful in this forest. There are monsters about. It would be best if you stayed alert."

Raine nodded her head in agreement, still too startled to speak.

He then turned back to face the direction in which they were headed.

"Stay close." He instructed.

_Why is he acting as though he cares? What happened to his bitter mystique?_

Raine eventually shrugged his odd behavior off, focusing more on the small path ahead of her, as to avoid another collision.

Finally, they managed to reach the campsite. Thankfully, Colette still seemed to be sleeping.

"I hope the poor girl did not wake while we were gone." Raine said, her gaze shifting to the blonde chosen.

"Even so, she is still here, is she not?" Came the Kratos's answer.

Raine nodded, dumping her damaged clothed in her bag. "Yes. That is true."

A few minutes passed by without a word. Raine just gazed at the small fire, slowly dying out.

"You should rest." Kratos told her, breaking the silence.

Raine's blue eyes landed on the swordsman's face. His features revealed he was not in the mood to argue, nor was she. The half elf had to admit, she was rather exhausted from the day's adventures.

"Yes. I believe you are right." She then laid out her blankets, slipping under a few. "Good night then, Kratos." She then rolled to her side, facing away from the campsite, shutting her eyes, prepared for a good night's sleep.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~End~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

All right. That's it! Please review. I should be writing more frequently, so, check back in about a week or two. There should be another post! I hope you enjoyed it!


	6. Awakening Hearts

Hey guys! Back with another chapter, and a lot sooner than I thought. =]

Enjoy! And leave me reviews.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Chapter 6~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was well into the morning when Raine finally awoke. Her face was lightly sunkissed, and she could feel the grass blades under her makeshift sleeping bag. The silver-haired woman slowly rose to a seated position, stretching her arms and legs in a feeble attempt to arouse herself from her previous slumber. Her crystal blue eyes surveyed the surroundings. Colette was no longer in her sleeping area, adjacent to the half elf. She whirled around, searching for a sign of either the crimson haired swordsman, or the blonde chosen. Finding neither, she began to panic.

_D-did they leave me here? Surely not. I am the healer in this group, and a fellow guardian of Colette. Colette would never allow my being left. But where in the...._

Raine got to her feet quickly, gathering her belongings, and shoving them forcefully, and desperately into her small sack.

_What should I do? Should I look for them? Or should I wait for them here? _

As she pondered this, the half elf paced the campsite, trying to spot a glimpse of her companions. But, she found none.

_Where could they have possibly gone? _

Finally deciding to wait for a while, Raine seated herself on the grass, awaiting either's return. She soon became lost in thought, of how she would get back to the village with no decent attacks, if she were of course left in the forest on her own. She hugged her knees to her chest, letting her head rest on them. She waited patiently for a while, then found herself drifting into a light sleep.

"Professor? Professor! Wake up!"

Raine jolted a bit at the sound of her name, her eyes shooting open. "Uh...." Her eyes landed on none other then Colette's face. Her features were twisted with concern for her teacher.

"Colette?" Raine ran a hand through her hair, staring lazily up at the kneeling teen.

"Come on, Professor! Mr. Kratos is waiting for us a couple of miles from here. Let's go!"

Raine felt herself nod her head a bit, then stood to her feet. "All right. Let's be going, then."

And with that, the two were off. Raine furrowed a brow at the chosen, curiousity overcoming her manners.

"Where was it that you two went off? I was quite worried I had been left in the forest." The teacher said, letting out a small laugh, trying to play the last comment off as a joke.

Colette returned the giggle, preparing to explain. "Mr. Kratos wanted to see how far the next town was, and, since I was awake, he asked me to come. He said it would be best if we let you rest."

Raine nodded, a little agitated the swordsman would allow her to be left on her own.

"So, how far is the next town?" Raine asked.

"Not too far. Its in the desert, which we should be entering soon."

For a while, the two remained quiet, and Raine knew Colette was beginning to become anxious about the journey. Raine could understand why, of course. She had to admit, she did not enjoy the sound of the outcome.

Raine soon found tears stinging at the backs of her eyes, sadness overcoming her. Shutting her eyes tightly a few times, she held back the tears, and, eventually, the stinging sensation had gone.

She soon found the ground becoming drier, and with that dryness, came dust.

"We're almost there!" Colette chirped.

A smile made its way across Raine's lips, thrilled at the thought of approaching the city soon. She could already fell the heat like a blanket, surrounding her.

Luckily, the two had avoided any unfortunate collisions with monsters, or bandits. Raine hoped this thought passing her mind would not jinx their chances.

Soon, the outline of a city could be made out, and Raine could feel her legs throbbing from both excitement, and exhaustion. She stole a look at the Colette, noting her features. Surprisingly, the girl seemed fine. She still had a small smile plastered to her face, but her cheeks were beginning to turn a deep red. Raine turned her attention swiftly back to the buildings ahead of them, wondering if she too, looked as if heat stroke would overtake her.

Before too long, the two women were now approaching the city enterance. Raine could see Kratos awaiting them, leaned up against a clay building. Spotting them, he shirted his weight back to his feet.

Once Raine and Colette were within earshot, his dark eyes turned to Raine.

"Did you sleep well?"

"Fine." Raine replied.

"Good. Then, let us be on our way to find clues about the fire seal whereabouts. I have already gotten the supplies for battle."

The three then began trudging around the town, asking anyone, and everyone where the fire seal could be. None seemed to know, though, upon hearing that the chosen was amongst their group, showered them with gifts, rather they be armor, or weapons, or even first aid supplies.

Soon, they came upon a tent, with a sign advertising a psychic housed there. Kratos seemed reluctant to enter, but Colette was eager to see the psychic.

"All right, Colette. This is your journey. We can give it a shot. Is that all right with you, Kratos?"

He nodded his head, though his face betrayed his answer.

The then entered the tiny hut, finding a stocky female behind a tiny makeshift counter.

Raine decided to voice the question of the group, taking a step forward. "Excuse me, we were wondering if by chance you would know the whereabouts for the fire seal."

The woman nodded her head, holding her hand." Of course I do. But, for one hundred dollars, I can tell you." She shot the half elf a toothy grin, awaiting her response.

Raine shighed, fumbling in her pocket for the money. "Here." She snapped, slapping the money into the woman's hand.

"All right. It should be west of this city."

"Thank you very much!" Colette said, beaming at the so-called, psychic.

"Thank you for your business." The woman said, as the three exited her tent.

"Well, that was a waste of money...." Kratos trailed off.

Raine shot the man a dangerous look. "Well, we found out where it is, all right? No one else could tell us the direction."

Kratos opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted by Colette. "Oh! There's a doggy over there! Can I go see him? Please?" The chosen asked, as if in a fashion a two year old might.

Raine sighed, and nodded her head. "Of course, Colette. Just don't wander too far."

Colette nodded eagerly, running off in the direction of the puppy.

For a few moments, silence overcame the two.

"I get the feeling, Raine, that you are not very fond of my being on this trip."

Raine folded her arms across her chest, strolling alongside the swordsman. "I'm just unsure of whether to trust you or not. I would have felt more comfortable with Lloyd protecting her in your place."

Kratos rolled his eyes. "The boy? There is no way he could have protected the Chosen. He is just a child."

"Yes, but, a child who cares deeply for Colette. I trust he would give his life before allowing something to happen to her."

Kratos just replied with a small "humph" and stiffened his shoulders a bit. Raine could tell he was irritated by her mistrust. But, who could blame her? She had only met the man a few days ago. How could she put her faith in him already?

"Kratos, I do not mean to offend you. I am mearly stating my current feelings about you previous measures. There are things about you that seem....well....odd."

"Odd?"

"Yes. For instance, you barely make conversation with Colette or I. You constantly seem agitated by something unknown to us. You just seem to....how can I put this....live in your own head, almost. I hardly know you at all. I must say, yesterday I was shocked you helped me out of the forest."

Kratos raised his brows at the woman, curious as to the meaning of her surprise. "Why were you 'shocked' I came to your rescue?"

"Well," She began, suddenly nervous to be talking to the swordsman on her own. "You just do not seem like the type to do such a thing."

"So, you mean, I would leave someone to die?"

"No. Not that. Just, I didn't think you would come look for me. You just seem independent, and you portray the idea of thinking others to be that way also."

Kratos just shrugged, now following suit, and pressing his folded arms across his chest in a defiant manner. "I believe you have received the wrong idea of me."

Raine raised her eyes to meet Kratos's, as she spoke in response. "I hope that is true, Kratos."

"I believe you will come to realize my real character soon." His lips spread into a small smile, and Raine could feel her cheeks growing hotter by the second.

She darted her gaze in another direction quickly, as to avoid te embarassment of Kratos seeing her flushed cheeks. She did not know why his smile had that effect on her. Sure, she had to admit he was quite handsome, and his skills with the blade were impressive. But, she thought him too antisocial, and businesslike to think anything of his perfectly chisled features.

"Oh....it looks like Colette is coming back." The half elf observed, watching as the blonde jogged back over to her guardians.

"Indeed." Came Kratos's reply. She could hear the smile evident in his voice.

Once the teen had reached the two, Kratos was the first to speak. "Now then, we should head in the direction the woman told us to venture. It will be dark soon if we do not take our leave."

The other two nodded their agreements. While the three exited the village, Colette told Raine of how beautiful the puppy was, and what she had told the owner to name it. Raine just smiled, and said the few occasional, "That's very nice," and "Oh?" but otherwise, surrendered to her thoughts of the swordsman's perfect smile. She still was unsure of why, at few strange moments, while the two were alone, he would show her a softer side. Could it be he wanted to win her trust? Or was there another motive.

She soon shook the question off, noticing her group had left the city behind now. She would need to become fully aware of her surroundings. Her companions could not afford her daydreaming right now. Not if a thief were to come out of hiding. Or a snake would pop up out of the sand. No. She needed to stay alert.

The sky began to grow dark, the night threatening to engulf the three lone travelers. Raine clutched her staff tighter, anxiousness getting the best of her. Colette seemed to notice so, as she grasped her teacher's free hand.

"Its all right, Professor! We'll be there soon! I think I can see the outline of the temple, now!"

Sure enough, as Raine's gaze followed the direction in which Colette was pointing, the silhoutte became undoubtedly clear in the horizon of the sunset.

"Yes. I believe you're right, Colette. Thank you."

Raine shot the blonde a reassuring smile, treading on. While the sun slowly lowered, the oncoming evening brought the promise of a cooler atmosphere. She had to admit, she did rather prefer the cool air of the night, as opposed to the blazing heat of the day.

Another twenty minutes passed, until the group reached the building.

Raine, noticing the slap of material covering the entryway, darted up the stairs, and onto the platform. "This is polycarbonate!" She shouted, stroking the rock hard seal. "Its infused with magitechnology." Her gaze floated over to a structure just a few feet away. There stood a stocky shaped stand. A handprint stained the thick, wide block set upon the top.

"Colette, I believe if you place your hand over this print, the stairs leading inside will be revealed."

"Really?" The chosen asked, excitement overcoming her features.

"Yes. I belive so."

"All right!" Just as Colette raised her hand towards the outline, a cry could be heard. The sound of footsteps pounding on the ground just a couple of feet from the temple caused everyone to pause in their tasks.

Kratos, stepping in front of the females, gripped the handle of his sword, ready to rip it out of its sheath.

Raine raised her staff, ready to create a barrier in front of her and Colette.

The outline of a child could be seen, rushing up the stairs.

Everyone relaxed slightly, but remained guarded.

The figure could be seen waving his arms.

"Raine! Colette! Kratos! Its me!"

"Is that.....Genis?" Colette asked, squinting to get a better look.

"Genis?" Raine demanded, darting past Kratos.

Soon, Raine could see the pale color of her brother's hair, and his wide blue eyes. His features told the woman that something was wrong.

"Genis! What are you doing here? Why are you not in the village?" The young woman demanded.

Genis shook his head, trying to catch his breath as he hunched over, gasping for air.

"I...Th-there's not time. for that now! Lloyd is in trouble!"

Colette jolted towards the small boy, as Kratos released his grip on his sword, striding towards the rest of his group. His eyes even showed concern, causing Raine to wonder even more of the man's character.

"Lloyd? Where is he? What happened?" Colette asked, her eyes widening in utter fear of her friend's current state.

Genis's face revealed the news would not be good. "He....he's been captured by the desians! Its all my fault!" Genis cried, tears streaming down his cheeks.

Instinctively, Raine pressed her sibling to her chest, trying to soothe the boy. "Genis, calm down, all right? We need you to lead us to where he is. Can you do that?"

Genis nodded, pulling away from his elder sibling. "Yeah. But we have to go now! I'm worried about him!"

Colette needed no convincing on turning back into the desert, but, Raine was concerned of Kratos's wishes. She turned her head to see he was now stepping down the stairs, ready to take his leave as well.

"Let us be going then." He told them.

And with that, the four were off, back into the shadow shrouded desert.

It was not long before everyone, aside from Kratos, was overtaken by shivers. Raine was surprised the mercernary could stand the cold.

She felt Genis cling to her arm, his teeth chattering slightly. Colette, as well, had gripped onto her other arm.

"H-how can a p-place th-that is so w-warm during the d-day, be s-s-s-so c-cold at....night?" Genis stammered out, asking no one in particular.

No one answered, too frozen to speak. As they trudged on, Raine found it more and more difficult to carry on. She could feel the two younger ones of the group beginning to lean their weight on her, and she could tell it was out of exhaustion.

"How much further, Genis?" Raine asked after a while, striving her hardest not to stutter from the cold. She did, in fact need to allow Colette and Genis to rely on her for support, and revealing that she was just as cold as they were, could not possibly help anything.

Apparently she had succeeded in masking her current suffering, as Genis answered, "Not t-too far....probably another m-mile or t-t-two...."

For a long while, no one spoke, trying to maintain their energy. Kratos strolled on ahead of the other three, most likely wanting to get the rescue mission over as soon as possible.

Pretty soon, a dome shaped building came into sight. It was a bright blue color, and it almost seemed to radiate light.

As they approached, the sounds of calls between guards became evident in the crisp night air.

"How will we get in?" Colette whispered.

Kratos side stepped, peering in the direction of the side of the building.

"It looks like we have no other option. We must prepare for battle."

Raine's eyes widened, whipping her head in his direction. "What? Are you serious? There are at least ten seven guards I can see just from here. How can four people, one of which who can not fight, going to defeat them all?"

"By using strategy. Genis can make use of his magic, while Colette and I will charge them. You will stay here, and, if any of us are injured, you can heal us, can you not?"

"Y-yes....but...." Raine trailed off, not entirely sure she was kosher with the plan.

After a few seconds of pondering, she nodded her head in agreement. "Fine. But, you had better be careful, all of you. There are bound to be more guards just inside the doors. They will undoubtedly be at the ready to charge alongside the others."

"We will make sure to take care of them. Just stay back here, and protect yourself." Kratos ordered. He then turned his attention of Genis and Colette. "Now, let us be going. Genis, you stay farther off from the guards then Colette and I. Make yourslf hidden, but, be close enough to be able to see the enemies."

Genis nodded his understanding. Kratos then shifted his gaze to Colette. "Colette, you and I will charge. Try to catch them off guard. Understood?"

"Yep!" Colette said, a smile creeping across her face.

And, with that, the three darted off into their positions. Raine shook her head, resting her head on one of her hands.

"Oh, Martel....keep them safe...."

The sounds of shouting, with iron clinking soon could be heard, as well as the rushing of water, and fire from Genis's attacks. Raine found herself saying a silent prayer for their safety, as well as wishing for the ability to fight as well.

She soon found herself pacing, her hands tapping nervously at her elbows. So far, no one had run back to her for healing. That was a good sign. But, she told herself the guards could not be an easy task to handle.

Soon, there was silence, and the sounds of rushing footsteps, and the rattling of metal. Raine could feel panic overtaking her, wondering if soldiers were headed her way. She was not off too far from the base, and it would not take the guards long to find her. What if one had slipped past? What if something had happened to her brother, to Colette, or....Kratos?

Soon, the footsteps grew closer, and Raine clutched her staff closer to her, at the ready to protect herself.

But, soon, Kratos's silhouette appeared before her, as he jogged closer.

"It is safe now." He told her, once he was only a few feet's distance from her.

"Are Genis and Colette all right?"

"Yes. I ordered them to wait by the enterance. We cleared the area of guards for now, but, we must move quickly."

Raine's eyes fell on Kratos's arm. A gash lay bleeding, visible where his sleeve was torn. "You're hurt...."

Kratos shrugged it off, peering down at the gaping wound. "It is nothing. I will be fine."

Raine shook her head, raising her staff to the injury. "No. You need to be healed before we proceed."

Kratos sighed, as the warm light of her staff engulfed the knife wound. Slowly, it began to disappear, until eventually, it was gone. Only a slight red mark remained where the gash once was.

"All right. I'm satisfied now. We can go." Raine told the man, a playful smile appearing on her face.

Kratos rolled his eyes, returning the grin. "Good. Now, let us be going."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~End Of Chapter 6~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`

Now things are beginning to heat up between Raine and Kratos. Woot!

Want to know what's going to happen next? Keep checking for new chapters, and you will find out!

Please review!


	7. Blooming Romance

All right. I'm back with another chapter. I haven't been busy lately, so, updates may be more frequent. So, keep checking for new chapters!

Okay, on with the story.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Chapter 7~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Raine jogged alongside Kratos, finding it very difficult to came up with the man's long strides. The building could be seen coming into view, and Raine could feel her body relax.

When they had reached the stairs, the half elf made a silent notation of the detailed features of the architecture. Then, Colette and Genis could be seen coming into view, crawling out of their hiding place in some dried brush.

"Colette! Genis! Are you two hurt anywhere?" Raine's crystal eyes scanned the two over quickly, making sure both were free of any wounds.

"Sis!" Genis moaned impatiently, as his elder sister grasped his arm, looking for any cuts, or scrapes.

"Quiet! The sands here are fine, and can easily embed in any wound. Would you really wish to fall ill to an infection?"

At this, Genis scowled, having been defeated at the argument.

After becoming satisfied that neither were harboring any sort of injury, Raine agreed to enter the base.

After minutes of searching hall after hall, they came upon a corridor. Spotting a door at the end, they decided to enter, by hope that they may find a clue as to where Lloyd was. Upon entering, the four found Lloyd surrounded by soldiers. A brunette man was off to the side, and Raine remembered seeing him at the martel temple back in Iselia.

_What was his name.....Ah! Yes! Lord Botta is what they called him....._

Raine watched as Botta smirked, striding over to stand in front of them.

"I figured it was the Chosen's group that bursted their way in here. I suppose you will be wanting the boy?"

Nothing was said in reply, and Raine noted Kratos's fingers tighten around the holt of his sword, at the ready to rip it out of its sheath. She also saw the fear overcome Colette's eyes, as Botta stepped closer, now only a couple feet away. The air seemed to thicken as his brown orbs floated over every one of them.

For a moment, all was still, and Botta turned his back on them, seeming to walk in the opposite direction. But, then, the unexpeted occured. In a flash, he had turned on his heel, and darted in the direction of none other than Genis.

"No!" Raine heard herself scream, as she ran towards the boy, at the ready to protect him.

However, Kratos was quicker, and she heard the sound of metal clash, as Kratos blocked Botta's staff. Genis, seeing this as an opportunity to escape, joined his sister, who, protectively shoved him behind her. Now, the battle was on, as Lloyd and Colette began fighting off the soldiers. Genis used whatever means of magic he could muster up the fastest to help. And, Kratos dodged whatever attack thrown on him by Botta. Raine watched as the mercernary then went on the offensive.

Raine quickly erected a barrier in front of her and her brother, just in case one of the soldiers slipped past, as Colette and Lloyd took them on.

The battle seemed to last forever, as Raine went to great lengths to protect Genis, and heal anyone of her allies when needed.

Finally, Botta seemed to be wearing down, and the soldiers had all been struck down. She watched as Lloyd, Colette, and Kratos cornered Botta, at the ready to finish him. But, Botta was faster, as a smirk stained his fatigued face. "I seemed to have underestimated you." He said, as he disappeared.

Lloyd furrowed a brow, as Raine dropped her barrier, watching as Genis darted over to the three.

"What the hell?" Lloyd demanded, whipping his head in every direction, searching for any sign of the brunette antagonist.

"Lloyd, Colette, Kratos! Are you guys okay?" Genis asked, as Raine made her way over as well.

Colette just shot the small boy a grin. "Yep!" The blonde chirped in reply.

Silence befell the group for a moment, as Kratos's eyes flickered to Raine, as she grasped the staff Botta had used in the fight. She spotted the sparkling jewel embedded in the top, her brow furrowing in curiosity. "Isn't this an exphere?"

"We had better get out of here." Kratos suggested, a hint of irritation evident in his voice.

Raine nodded in response, ripping the exphere out of the weapon. "Yes. I opened the way to the escape route. Let's head back to Triet."

And with that, the five were off on their way to the desert. The three younger ones in the group traveled in front, clustered together, as Colette and Genis constantly questioned Lloyd of whether or not he was injured.

Raine and Kratos strayed some feet back, silent for a few moments. Raine could feel the cool night breeze piercing through her clothes, into her skin. Her teeth began to chatter, and her body shook. The swordsman next to her seemed to notice, as his deep brown eyes penetrated through her periferal vision.

"Are you all right?"

Raine almost jumped at the sound of his voice piercing through the silence. "Y...Yes. I'm just a little chilly, is all." Came her reply, as she clutched her white shirt tighter around her. Now she was really missing her overcoat. Thanks to that drunken man back in the forest, she now had to suffer through the freezing weather with no protection.

But, she soon felt something warm encasing her shoulders, as she turned to see Kratos clutching onto her frame. Raine could feel her blue eyes widening with every second from sheer surprise.

"Th-thank you...Kratos....?" She almost asked.

The crimson haired man just nodded in response, facing forward once more.

Silence fell over the two once more for a few moments, as Raine trudged on alongside Kratos, still slightly in shock at the mercernary's gentleman-like response to her frozen demeanor.

Once they had reached Triet, they all headed for the inn, deciding it to be best to get a fresh start on the fire temple the next day.

When everyone had been assigned their rooms, Raine and Genis made their way up to their room, as Genis went on and on about how cool it was to be traveling on the journey of regeneration with his sister.

For a while, Raine sat in silence, charting information on monsters she had encountered so far. No sound could be heard in the night air, spare the sound of her pen hitting the paper before her. But, soon, creaking could be heard, breaking the quiet.

Luckily, Genis had not awoken, as footsteps seemed to get louder, until she could hear them right outside the door.

The half elf slowly stood, making her way over, and cautiously grasping onto her staff. A soft knock could be heard on the other side, and Raine gripped the doorknob. Gently turning it, she opened the door, finding Kratos.

"Kratos? What brings you here?" She asked, curiosity evident in her voice.

"I could not sleep. And, I was wondering if you might like to take a walk?"

Raine just stood there for a moment, staring dumbly at the man before her. After a few moments, she quickly snapped out of her daze, and nodded her head in response.

"Yes." She answered simply, stepping outside. She gently shut the door, careful not to disturb the sleeping boy inside.

The two made their way outside, and Raine wondered if Kratos would say anything else. The city was a completely different place altogether in the evening. No one graced the small dirt paths leading to the shops, or the oasis. No children frollicked along, being chased by concerned parents. Everything was almost eerily quiet.

"Raine, I need to discuss something with you."

Raine tilted her head up at the the man, the breeze tousling his perfect auburn hair. "Yes?" She asked.

She watched as he gingerly turned the other way, running a hand through his crimson locks, in a futile attempt to straighten it. Obviously something was bothering him. But what?

For what seemed like an eternity, the two just stood like that. And, Raine could feel her body beginning to beg for warmth. But, before she could suggest going back inside, Kratos began so speak once more.

"Raine, I am beginning to feel as though I am being pulled towards you, in a sense. I can't seem to explain it, but," at this, he turned once more to face her. "I believe I am beginning to...have feelings for you." He stammered out, awkwardly.

Raine, in the time of knowing the man had not once seen him like this. His face almost matched his hair in color. His usually suave misdemeanor had been replaced with a rather impatient stance.

"Kratos....?" Raine wasn't sure what to say. This whole week had been odd, to say the least. What with Kratos's helpful behavior, and now this bombshell dropped on her?

Kratos watched as her mouth twitched in an almost panicked way. Then, feeling the pressure build, frowned, and turned in the other way once more. "I am sorry to have bothered you, Miss Sage. If you would like, I will escort you back to your room, and we can go on the journey, acting as if this night never happened."

Raine felt her head shake slowly, still staring at the ground uncomfortable. She slowly stood to her feet, rasing her gaze as she stepped in front to the man, placing a pale hand on his cheek. She tensed a bit, almost afraid of his reaction at this, but, stared up at his taken back expression.

"No, Kratos. There is nothing to feel embarassed about. I believe I, too, am beginning to feel the same way as well...."

She watched as his brown eyes stared into hers, softening once more. And, that's when she felt his lips touch hers. She returned the kiss, keeping her hand pressed on his cheek.

She smiled against him, her muscles relaxing. This felt right. And, she liked the way he felt against her.

Soon, he pulled back, and she could see he was smiling as well. "Well, this certainly complicates things, does it not?" He asked, a small chuckle escaping his already parted lips.

"Yes. Yes it does." Raine agreed, grinning back.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~End of Chapter 7~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And, there you have it. Finally, some action between the two.

=]

I hope you enjoyed! Please leave me reviews.


	8. First Seal

Back with a new chapter.

Since I haven't put a disclaimer in a while, I own nothing, k? =P

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Chapter 8~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sunlight burned Raine's face as her eyes slowly fluttered open. Her crystal eyes darted around the dingy hotel room. She finally spotted Genis still sleeping soundly in his bed, letting out a small snore every once in a while.

_How did I get in here? _

Slowly, she sat up in her bed, running a hand through her tousled hair.

The last thing she remembered from the night before, was sitting next to Kratos on a bench outside the inn. She did recall feeling rather exhausted, and wouldn't be surprised if she had fallen asleep on him.

_He took me into bed....? _

She could feel her cheeks begin to burn slightly, and could only imagine the faded red color they had turned to. Quickly, she jumped up from, and darted into the bathroom, straightening her hair as much as possible. She was sure she had seen a small shop in the city selling clothes, and she imagined she could use a new set.

The half elf then darted down the steps of the inn, careful to not be spotted by anyone in her group. Especially not Kratos.

Seeing no one, she then made her way outside, still ever so cautious of anyone seeing her fatigued expression, and her wildly untamed hair.

Quickly, she spotted the small outdoor shop, and picked out a black sleeveless shirt, as well as a pair of brown shorts, and a brown overcoat as well, for when the freezing nights hit.

Looking around to make sure no one was up yet, she darted back into the inn, and up to her room.

Once she had finished with her shower, and changing into her new clothes, she strided back into the room, finding Genis's bed empty, and made up. She wondered if anyone else was up as well, as she combed through her hair, grabbing her belongings, and feverishly shoving them into her bag.

When she had stepped out of the door of the room, she found everyone standing down in the lobby. She watched as Kratos, the first to notice her, gave her a small smile.

She returned it, racing down the steps, as Lloyd, Colette, and her brother finally acknowledged her presence.

"Hey, Raine!" Genis greeted, a grin overwhelming his small features. "How did you sleep?"

"Fine." She answered, shooting an unnoticed wink in Kratos's direction. He let out a small chuckle, and Raine felt her lips spread even further.

"Well, How about we get going to the seal! I can't wait to see what it looks like!" Lloyd shouted enthusiastically.

Genis smacked a hand to his forehead, forseeing the boy's exasperated attitude that was soon to come. "You're just going to get worn out five minutes into it, like everything else."

Lloyd seemed to ignore this comment as his attention turned to Colette, an excited smile overtaking his face. "Come on, Colette! I can't wait to see you release the first seal!"

The blonde grinned as well. "I know! Its going to be great!"

When they had finally decided they had enough supplies, and were ready to be on their way, the five left, as various shouts ascended from the townspeople, wishing the chosen luck.

They had finally reached the open desert, and once more, the three younger counterparts of the group were clustered in the front together, most likely discussing the temple they would soon reach.

Soon, Kratos spoke up, most likely figuring the other three were out of hearing distance.

"You know, Raine, you sleep rather soundly."

Raine jerked her head in Kratos's direction, a playful scowl on her face. "You watched me last night?"

"Well," He shrugged, letting out a chortle. "once I got you to your room, I wanted to be sure you would not soon wake."

Raine turned her head once more, facing front. "Well, that's kind of sweet, in a creepy way, I guess." She joked, stealing a glance at Kratos's expression.

He, too found this amusing as a smirk appeared on his lips.

The half elf could feel the smile slowly creeping from her face as she thought of the end of their journey. "What are we supposed to do once Colette has released the final seal? You have to travel to make your living, correct? And I can not drag Genis around just for some relationship that may not work...." At the end of this sentence, Raine could feel Kratos cringe slightly, and she mentally kicked herself for being so harsh.

The mercernary was silent for a moment, seeming to choose his words carefully. Raine watched as his face twisted with concern, most likely trying to hide the hurt Raine had bestowed upon him.

"Well," He finally said, striding on. "we'll do what we think is best once we reach that place, all right?"

Raine's gaze floated up to him, seeing he was flashing her a soft smile.

"Raine! Look! Look!" The silver-haired woman shifted her attention to her younger sibling, watching as he clumsily pointed in the direction ahead. She could make out the outline of the barren ruins they had visited only the day before. But, it was like an entirely new place in the daylight. She could already see the rustic brown wood, barely holding up to the harsh winds tossing sand this way, and that.

She let out a small gasp, the grin returning to her face, as she began racing towards the ruin.

Once she had reached the steps leading up to the dias, she knelt on the harsh grains of sand, ignoring the jabbing pain they brought, as she stroked the slab of stone covering the enterance.

"Ah, what I wouldn't give to study this longer...."

"Uh...professor?" She heard Lloyd's voice ring out.

Raine slowly turned her head to see the horrified expressions of Lloyd, Colette, Genis, and Kratos.

_What are they looking at me like that for? I was only studying the makeup of this stone tablet...._

The half elf froze as she felt the harsh texture of the stone under her cheek.

_Oh no...._

She had allowed herself to go into ruin-mode in front of the four. How could she have let herself caress the slab with her cheek? This was awful.

Quickly, she jolted to her feet, brushing the dust off of her clothes. "Well, shall we get going?" She asked, her body growing hot from the sheer embarassment. "Colette, if you will."

The blonde nodded in response, skipping off to the oracle stone, and placing her hand firmly in the depression. Seconds later, the slab slid away, revealing stairs leading into the temple.

Lloyd was the first to descend, exclaiming of how great it would be to explore the contents of the temple.

Raine sighed, sending Kratos an apologetic look. He just chuckled in response, following Colette as she frollicked down the steps behind Genis, who was now telling Lloyd to calm down.

Raine was the last to follow, and slowly examined the walls of the stairwell.

_Ah, this is magnificent...._

The excitement almost overwhelmed her as she continued to step down, stroking the stone with the back of her hand, careful this time to remain fully aware of her actions.

But, as she continued to descend further into the temple, her body came into harsh contact with Kratos's.

"Kratos! What are you doing? Why did you stop?"

Silence.

"Kratos, what's going on?"

"Sh..." Came his quiet reply."

What was going on?

She heard as Kratos pulled his sword out of its sheath, and listened as the others got their weapons ready as well.

"Kratos? Please tell me what's going on?" Raine whispered, growing tired of the only one unaware of what was going on.

"Raine, stay back, all right? There's someone here."

_How? How could someone possibly get in here? The only one who can open the enterance is Colette._

Raine resisted the urge to press him further, and, instead tried to peer from behind Kratos's form. Unfortunately for her, Kratos was too tall, and the stairwell was too diminutive to see otherwise.

She could feel Kratos tense, and Lloyd could be heard stepping further in. The footsteps soon disappeared, but, Kratos did not step further in.

"Guys! Get down here! There's a...thing blocking the enterance!" Lloyd shouted.

Raine watched as Kratos disappeared into the dimly lit temple. She soon followed, cautiously stepping down. She soon found the four surrounding some sort of floating rock. Fire emitted ever so slightly from the cracks, and Raine felt uneasy at how close everyone was to it.

"We have to get rid of it." Genis stated, almost absentmindedly.

"Yeah, but...how?" Lloyd asked, bringing about the question all of them were already asking themselves.

"Well, how about we try to attack it! You know, like everything else?" Colette suggested, a small smile still evident on her face.

Lloyd, seeming to like this, drew his swords. "Hmmm....its worth a shot!"

And with that, Raine watched as the four attempted to rid the stone from their way. Eventually, it seemed to work, as the rock slowly began sinking to the floor, and ceased spitting out fire.

Kratos once again sheathed his sword, folding his arms across his chest, almost seeming disinterested. "Well, shall we be going in?"

And with that, the five had entered the temple, ready to meet with Remiel once more.


	9. Colette's Collapse

All right, guys. Back with a new chapter, FINALLY!

Sorry, so much work to do at school.

Anyway, I own nothing, all right?

Now, on with the story.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Chapter 9~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Raine could feel her the rhythmatic drumming of her heart as they closed in on the bowels of the temple. Surely this place could not get darker. Even with the torches they had managed to light, it was almost impossible to see five feet in front of you. This made striding along through the ancient structure completely dangerous. For, how could they fight an enemy, should one appear, if they can not see it coming?

The minutes drawled on, and Raine was beginning to believe they would never find the enterance to the seal room. She could hear the pat of the footsteps of her comrades hitting the stone floor. She then heard Lloyd's exasperated voice penetrate the silence:

"Are we almost there, yet?"

Raine could feel her aqua eyes roll almost involuntarily out of disgust at the boy's impatience.

Then her brother's voice could be heard answering, in his usual haughty tone, "Honestly, Lloyd. We've only been in this temple for maybe fifteen minutes. I'm sure its going to take a little while- Ack!" There was a small thud, and Raine could felt Kratos stop suddenly. Rustling could be heard, and she began to wonder what could possibly be going on.

"Hey, Genis! I think you found out!" Colette chirped.

Then, Kratos shifted forward, examining something in the midst of the darkness surrounding them all. "All right, chosen. You know what to do to open it."

Soon, a red light could be seen slowly growing brighter from the direction Raine guessed Colette was to be. Slowly, the light began to show brighter, and brighter, until everything surrounding the group was showered in light, and the half elf felt the need to shield her eyes.

Soon, the light turned into that of a dimmer white light, and when Raine removed her hand from her eyes, found herself staring into a large room. Kratos was the one to lead them further in, trailed by Lloyd and Genis, with Colette right behind the two, and Raine in the back. Her aqua eyes wandered through to see the magitechnology embedded into the polycarbonate walls.

She let her slender fingers trace the various designs painted into the stone as she walked along-much slower than the rest. She soon heard one of her companions clear their throats in a rather husky manner, and knew it to be Kratos before she even laid eyes on his direction.

"Oh-I apologize." She said, swiftly making her way up to the stage containing Colette, who was standing at the ready.

Red orbs began fluttering up from inside a circle-like contraption held on the stage, that seemed to lower further into the earth. The balls of light soon turned into rather large, menacing creatures Raine had never before laid eyes on. The largest of the three had three horns embedded into its head. Spikes ran along down its spine, and down to its shimmering red tail. He seemed to be around seven feet long, and at least six feet tall. The other two that accompanied him were slightly smaller, and were maybe five feet tall, and just about as long. They only had spikes on their tails. Their amethyst eyes glanced around the room, almost in a blind manner. Their nostrils flared as they picked up their sent.

She could hear the scraping of metal, as Kratos and Lloyd unsheathed their swords. She watched as her younger brother whipped out his Kendama, and the three went to work as Raine protected Colette behind her force field.

The battle seemed to go on forever as the half elf listened to Colette's random gasps of shock as Lloyd was tossed around by the three beasts. Raine couldn't blame the girl. She could feel her heart stop on occasion as she watched one of the animals breathe fire in either Kratos's, Lloyd's, or Genis's directions.

But, soon, the beasts were defeated as the last fell into a crumpled heap on the cold stone floor of the temple. Silence fell over the room, except for the quick draws of breath from the three males as they replaced their weapons into their various storage measures. Raine let her shield fall, then nodded to Colette as the blonde began her walk up to the stairs to the stage.

Soon, a bright twinkling light could be made out as it dropped slowly down from the mosaic domed ceiling. Once the ball of light was only about fifteen feet higher than the group, it formed into a man. Raine gawked at the man, as large snow-white wings appeared on either side of his shoulder blades. His blonde hair stood out magnificently against the dark surroundings, and almost had a glittering property to it. The green robes he wore also seemed to twinkle as well, and perfectly matched his emerald colored eyes.

_This must be Remiel. _She thought. Having left the temple before the others had met him, Raine had missed out on seeing just what he looked like. The half elf stole a glance at Colette, and noting the similiar features between the both, remembering Genis tell her the night before she left that Remiel was Colette's real father.

Her thoughts were soon interrupted, as Remiel's booming voice broke the silence.

"Ah, Colette, my daughter. We meet again." A smile reached the angel's face as he said this.

Colette returned the grin, bowing slightly. "Yes father." She answered.

"Now, I shall bestow upon you the power of cruxis. Recieve it gracefully."

Beads of bright light made their way from Remiel's outstretched arms, down to the blonde teen.

Once they had flowed into Colette's body, she spoke once more. "Thank you, father."

The angel nodded, and then continued on. "The first night will not be without pain. But, it is only for one night. Be strong." He paused for a moment, and waited for Colette's reply, then continued, "The next seal is across the ocean. Once you reach it, defeat the monster that guards the seal. Do not disappoint me." And with that, he was floating up once more, back through the ceiling. And, in a flash, he was gone.

Raine's stomach lurched, remembering the angel's words-_The next seal is across the ocean...._ Raine hated the water, and knew this could only mean one thing-sailing on a boat. Last time she had traveled on a boat, many things had gone wrong. And, who was to say they wouldn't again?

Lloyd's voice crashed through Raine's mind, shattering her memory, and causing her to dart her eyes on his form.

"Colette! You have...wings!" He shouted.

Raine turned quickly to see Colette. And, there, just as he said, on her back were a pair of shimmering, purple wings. Various shades of violet trailed down through them, and they were almost in the shape of butterfly wings.

Genis was the next to talk about them, racing up the steps, and stopping abruptly next to Colette. "Cool!" He shouted, a trace of awe in his voice.

Colette smiled, as she spoke up once more. "Yeah! And I can put them away, too." And with that, the pair of wings disappeared from her back.

"Wow!" Genis exclaimed.

"Look, look!" Colette said, as her wings appeared once more.

Kratos took this as an opportunity to speak with Raine about the best possible way to get across the ocean. He strode over to her, unfolding a map as he did. "I think it best if we make our way past Triet, and through the desert to Hakonosia Peak. And then we can get to Izoold. They have many fishing boats, so I am not in doubt that we can find one to sail us over to Palmacosta."

At the mention of this city, Raine found herself glancing up at Genis to see if he had noticed Kratos say it. Genis had been given a recommendation to the school in Palmacosta a few years ago by a visiting priest.

The small boy did not seem to have heard, as he kept watching Colette flutter her wings, and randomly put them away.

"Yes. I think that would be a good place to try." The half elf answered, ignoring the knot forming in her stomach just at the mere thought of being by the ocean.

After about ten more minutes of waiting for Genis and Colette to calm down about her wings, they were on their way outside of the temple. But, suddenly, a hindrance provided itself, as Colette fell to her knees.

Raine, who had been walking behind the girl, darted over to her, calling to the males in the group to get their attention.

Lloyd was the first to rush over, followed by a running Genis.

"Colette!" Lloyd cried out, his legs dropping him to the floor in a rather lazy manner. Genis followed suit, kneeling next to the fallen girl.

Raine watched Kratos slowly stride over. The expression pasted to his face showed that of almost disinterest. The silver-haired woman knelt on the other side of the blonde, now taking her curious eyes off of the swordsman. Her eyes scanned Colette's face, noting how pale it had become. Her lips were now a shade of purple, and her chest rose in awkward intervals. Clearly, she was having trouble breathing. "We have to take her to a doctor in Triet. I am not sure my healing arts will-" she began, but heard Kratos's voice interject.

"No. Its best not to move her. The angel told us that she would have to overcome a trial, correct? We shall set up camp outside, and stay there for the night."

Raine furrowed a brow, curious as to how Kratos could suddenly come up with such a suggestion so fast. Had anyone else remembered Remiel's words, or were they just as taken aback by Colette's collapse. She watched as Lloyd grasped the girl's arm, and leaned almost the entirety of her weight on himself, as he guided her outside.

Once the campsite had been set up, Raine tried to tend to Colette's comfort by offering her food that Genis had made. But, the girl had refused, though, her face had retained some color, and her breathing had regulated.

Lloyd obviously noticed this, because he could soon be heard lecturing Colette on the importance of eating while on such a difficult journey.

Raine saw this as a good opportunity to lay down, and try to rest. The next day would be quite a difficult one. Deciding Colette would be safe with Lloyd and Kratos still awake, (Genis had fallen asleep at her side) she laid down, and closed her eyes, feeling the fire's heat on her face.


	10. Ruined City

Back with another chapter once again! Hope you enjoy! =]

Disclaimer: I do not own Tales Of Symphonia

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Chapter 10~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A few weeks had gone by since releasing the fire seal, and as the group heated up after each seal that was broken, as did the blooming relationship that had formed between Raine and Kratos.

Fortunately, no one else in the group seemed to have noticed the two slipping off together late at night, always returning before any of the other three had awoken.

One particular late night endeavor the two had taken happened to be while they group was on the way to the tower of mana. They had defeated the guardian of the seal of wind a few days previous, and Raine had begun to notice the sense of determination in the air with every step they took now. Even Colette, who's fate was not at all hopeful, had a cheery demeanor the closer they got.

Raine even noticed the slightest hint of a grin sometimes appearing on Kratos's face when the group defeated a guardian.

Raine smiled at this last thought.

She felt something brush against her cheek, snapping her out of her reverie. Her eyes landed on Kratos, who sat before her, a hint of a smile on his face as he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

"What are you thinking about?" He asked.

"Just about the journey. You know, Kratos, you do have to admit that Lloyd and Genis have come a long way." Raine said, throwing a glance in the direction of the campsite.

"Yes. They have. I haven't heard Lloyd complain near as much about the dungeons lately. That seems to be a large step for him."

Raine nodded her head, her blue eyes scanning the surrounding trees. A rather anguishing thought crossed her mind, causing a rather painful twinge in her gut. What would happen when the journey was over? Would her and Kratos stay together, or would they part ways for good?

Kratos, who must of noticed the change in her demeanor, scooted closer to her. He placed a gentle hand under her chin, and turned her head to face his.

"Are you feeling all right, Raine?"

Raine slowly nodded her head, forcing a smile on her face. "Yes. I was just wondering how the kids are doing back at the camp."

Kratos frowned at her, obviously having caught her in a lie. But, he didn't press the matter. Instead, he let out a small sigh, turning his gaze to the starry sky.

For a while, they sat in silence. For a while, Raine began to wonder if Kratos knew what she was thinking, because a look of sadness was now etched onto his handsome features.

At last, Raine laid her head on his shoulder, snapping him out of his thoughts.

"We should be getting back soon. We will be having to leave early in the morning, if we want to make it to Luin tomorrow."

Raine muttered her agreement, now noticing the fatigue radiating throuhout her body. She attempted to rise to her feet, but was greeted with the familiar prickling sensation in her legs that meant, they were indeed asleep.

Kratos chuckled, watching as she stumbled. He crossed over to her, lifting her in his arms effortlessly, and carrying her back to the campsite.

Not too keen on the idea of needing assistance, Raine mentally kicked herself for body's weariness.

Pretty soon, she could smell the distinguishing scent of a dying fire. They were close now. Maybe only about, ten minutes away.

Slowly, she let her head relax against Kratos's chest, and felt her eyes droop closed.

Raine awoke to the sound of chatter. She slowly opened her eyes to see that she alone was asleep. Colette, Kratos, and Lloyd were all talking about something that seemed to have risen some excitement in them. Noishe was over some ways away, chomping happily on some grass, and Kratos was seated on the ground, obviously waiting for the rest of the group to finish packing.

Raine caught the swordsman's eye, and he flashed her a small smile, before turning his attention back on the younger half of their group.

She rose herself into a seated position, stretching as she did so. Slowly, Raine got to her feet, grasping her things, and half-heartedly stuffing them into her bag. Today was going to be a long day. She could feel it.

Her gaze found the sky. She noted the many graying clouds, and wondered how long it would take for them to be caught in a downpour.

Once she had finished packing, she decided to motivate Genis, Colette, and Lloyd into getting ready for their departure.

"Let's go, children. Pack your things. We need to be heading for Luin if we want to get there before nigthfall."

Genis gave her a small scowl, while Colette's eyes widened, and she shouted her apologies, scrambling to gather her things. Lloyd raised a brow at his teacher. Apparently, the two boys were not too keen on being called "children".

"Raine! I'm twelve! You don't need to be told what to do!" Genis exclaimed.

Raine sighed, already able to tell her brother was going to be in a defiant mood for the entirety of the day.

"Then you need to start acting more like an adult, if you want me to treat you like one. You should have gotten your things together when you got up this morning."

Before Genis could argue the point further, Raine waved him away, and he and Lloyd began to pack.

After about five minutes of constant complaining from the youngest of the group, they headed off, south of their current position.

After a few hours of traveling, the outline of a city could be made out, and Raine felt her heart leap out of relief. Her feet had begun to ache, and she was ready to rest.

But, as they got closer, Raine began to notice something that seemed wrong. The buildings that were coming into view seemed rather worn down. This did not seem right from what she had heard of the famous Luin. Everyone had always said what a nice town it was. Surrounded by a beautiful crystal lake, dozens of beautiful houses and inns. This did not seem like the right place.

She suspected the other four had begun to notice the abnormality, for Kratos was eyeing the map, while Colette, Lloyd, and Genis exchanged wary looks.

This, could not be a good sign.....

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~End of Chapter 10~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I know! Its a bad place to leave off! But, the next chapter will have a lot more action.

Please leave reviews!


	11. The Plan

Hey! Back with another chapter!

By the way, I have to say you guys are amazing. I'm loving the reviews I'm getting, and I apologize for the delays of the chapters. School has been crazy lately. Though, I'm sure you hear that a lot. =P

Anyway, I wanted to take a moment to thank all of you. =]

Disclaimer-I do not own Tales of Symphonia.

Now, on with it!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Chapter 11~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Raine's heart began to ache, as her crystal blue eyes examined the wreckage of the city before her.

Crumbles of buildings could be found floating amiss the once, beautiful lake. Dirt, and blood had stained the cobblestoned walkway, leaving Raine with an eerie feeling. She whirled around, looking anywhere, and everywhere for any sign of life. But, she found none.

"This is...horrible..." Colette gasped, slipping her arms around one of Lloyd's, as if she found the wreckage too much for her to handle.

Her eyes found Kratos's fiery ones. She could tell by the expression on his face, he was just as upset by the devastation. He only met her gaze for a brief moment, before striding off.

He was not a man to show his emotions, and the half elf could not help but wonder what had caused this newfound irritation. Sure, the present state of Luin was upsetting. But, for a man, who, as far as she knew had no personal connection with the town, this was an odd way to act.

"Guys! Come here!"

Raine snapped out of her thoughts, almost jumping in the process. It seemed the call had stirred the other three as well, as their heads all whirled in the direction of the voice.

Raine searched frantically for her brother all around her, just now noticing he had left their side.

She raced off in the direction she heard Genis call. And, soon, a large fountain came into view. The marble finish had been shattered, and cracks were formed in the stone.

Her eyes landed on the small silver-haired boy, who, in fact was standing across from a certain dark-haired young woman.

"Genis! Get away from her!"

Genis obliged, slowly stepping away from the would be assassin. She had been after Colette numerous times since they had started the journey, and in each attempt on her life, miraculously, they had stopped her.

Now, here she knelt, soaked in blood.

Raine couldn't help but wonder what had happened to her. She was clutching her side, and her face was contorted into a grimace.

"Oh, its you." She spat out, her chocolate eyes examining the five before her. "If you want to finish me, here's your chance."

A soft cry could be heard coming from Colette's direction. Of course the blonde would not wish for this stranger's death.

"No!" She shouted. Her wide eyes then set their sight on Raine. "Professor! Heal her!"

Raine could feel a sense of defiance overtake her mind. But, before she could speak, a cry could be heard, coming from the direction they had just entered that section of the city.

"Ah! Help!"

When they turned their attention in the direction of the cry, they found an elderly man-a priest-racing to get away from a certain large monster.

"Clara!" Raine heard herself gasp.

As the man and Clara closed in on the distance between the group, and themselves, Sheena jumped to her feet, and darted over to the large green woman.

"No! Get out of here!" She raised her hand, producing a card with charms enscribed in it. Attempting to attack the woman, while the priest fled behind Lloyd and Colette, Sheena was thrown back. More blood appeared, staining her clothes further.

Now, it was Colette who stood across from Clara. She produced her angel wings, almost unconsciously, and began pleading with the monster. "Clara! Please stop this!"

She, too, was thrown back, landing next to Sheena. Clara, amazingly, fled the scene.

Genis ran forward, concern etched on his young face. "Colette! Are you all right?!"

Colette only nodded in response, her eyes set on Sheena. "Professor! Heal her! Please!"

"I don't know if that would be in our best interests. She is after your life, Colette. It may be best if we left her as she is. She may have accomplices around."

"Professor!" This time, it was not Colette who protested, but Lloyd. "Heal her! We can deal with that situation if it comes. Just help her!"

Raine's eyes searched for a supporter for her side. She then looked to Kratos, sure he would side with her.

It seemed he took this as a request for his input. "I believe it would be a good idea to heal her as well."

The half elf could feel her jaw drop, and her eyes tighten in betrayel. She soon snapped out of it, sending the man a glare. How dare he not see it from her point of view? She strode over to the violet-haired girl, placing her staff near her wounds. The blood began to seep back in, as the stains disappeared on her clothing. Once finished, Raine stalked back to her place a few feet away.

"There. Happy?"

Colette clasped her hands together, a broad smile overtaking her face, as she helped Sheena up.

"Th-thanks. But, why did you save me?" Her brown eyes searched the five before her.

"Probably for the same reason you saved that man back there. Anyway, how did you get injured here?" Lloyd answered.

Sheena seemed as though she was struggling with the choice of whether or not to answer. Finally, she spoke up. "I-it was nothing. I was just clumsy....But, I must be going now. I have some things to do for now."

Colette's face fell. "You're leaving? Will you be all right?"

"You're not supposed to worry about your enemy!" She sighed, a bit of humor evident in her voice. When she noted the hurt expression on the blonde's face, she immediately softened her tone. "I'm sure we'll meet again." And with that, she disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

For a few moments, nothing was said. No one moved.

"Well, that was odd." Came Genis's voice.

Lloyd nodded, and Colette just continued to smile. Obviously, she was pleased at the thought of seeing her would-be assassin again.

Raine could feel Kratos trying to meet her eye, but, she was in no mood to speak with any of them. Especially him.

She was unsure of why the fact of them all wanting her to heal the young woman irritated her so much. She stalked off as Lloyd, Colette, and Genis all discussed the various ways Sheena could have been injured.

When she has made it back to the enterance of the city, she found a detached bridge that stood halfway through the lake. Seating herself on it, she gazed at the beauty of the water. It was still littered with crumbles of buildings, but it still had the clear sheen it was said to have.

"Raine?"

The sound of her name caused the young woman to jump, almost jolting her from her position, and into the water. When she looked behind her, she found Kratos standing there. He still had a trace of the hostile look in his eyes, but, mostly, his expression was twisted into a look of concern.

When she said nothing to answer to him, Kratos stepped closer, seating himself next to her. Raine turned her gaze back to the lake, rolling her eyes.

"Raine, why are you so upset?"

She shook her head, trying to contain her frustration. After a few seconds, she answered.

"Kratos, that woman has been after Colette's life ever since we left Triet. Do you really believe it was a good idea to heal her?"

"I realize that. However, she did try to save that priest. She can not be too heartless. Had I believed she would have attacked the Chosen, I would have never suggested your aid."

Raine nodded her head, somewhat understanding his logic. But, she could not bring herself to agree with him fully.

After a few minute's silence, Raine could feel his hand brush against her cheek, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. He quickly withdrew the hand, as they heard footsteps approaching.

Kratos shot to his feet, as did Raine, as they found Genis approaching the two.

"You guys better come back. Lloyd believes it was the desians that attacked the city. He's not too happy."

Once they returned to the fountain, they found Colette trying to calm a seething Lloyd.

"Damn them! Damn them to hell!" He was shouting.

Genis shot Raine a pleading look, she took as a request for her assistance. She slowly stepped forward, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Lloyd? Calm down. I understand you are upet, but-"

"Upset?! The desians did this! I know they did! I'll make them pay!" His red-brown eyes were burning with a new fiery passion that sent a chill down Raine's spine. He intended to infiltrate the ranch. She could tell from the look on his face.

"Lloyd, you have got to calm yourself. There's no way-"

"We need a plan. If we can come up with a good plan, we can infiltrate the ranch."

The half elf's eyes widened in shock. She even ignored the fact that she had been rudely interrupted twice in this conversation, too surprised that that suggestion had come from Kratos.

"Are you insane?!" She exclaimed, her piercing gaze turned on him now.

"They have probably taken hostages from this city. We must infiltrate the ranch to rescue them." He fired back.

Lloyd's face lit up slightly at the mention of rescuing the captives, and his muscles relaxed.

"We can set up camp here for the night while we figure out how to get into the ranch.

The plan was this-to storm into the ranch, and attack a few desians. They would steal their armor, and disguise as many of them as they could as fellow desians, while the rest would be the prisoners.

It was decided rather quickly, to Lloyd's disappointment, that he would be a prisoner, since he in fact wanted by the desians.

Later that afternoon, once they had confirmed the plan, they headed northwest, in the direction of the human ranch.

Once they had obtained the armor, they raced back to Luin. It appeared that the only uniform that could be used, that had not been damaged in the fight was that of a woman's. Raine, being the only suited one to wear it, quickly left to try it on. When it was determined it looked natural, and no one would ask questions, they decided to settle in for the night.

Raine being one for a change. She had to admit. It did feel rather odd to not be joining Kratos on a late night walk. But, because this mission was so vital, both had decided it would be best if she got a suitable amount of rest for once.

She watched as he sat next to Noishe, having volunteered once more for the nightwatch. She wondered if the man ever obtained a full night's sleep. She was always the first one to drift off when they did see each other at night. Come to think of it, she had never seen him asleep. Her thoughts then drifted to the events that would take place the next day. She wondered if she would be able to fool the guards. would they really think she was one of them? Or, would they see through her ruse. Oh well. She didn't have the time, nor the energy to think of the consequences right now. She needed to get her rest. Soon, her eyes drifted, and she had fallen into a peaceful sleep.

Kratos watched as Raine's eyes drifted close. She was curled up in her sleeping bag, with her hands under her head, cradling it. He couldn't help but smile. It was nice, her getting the rest she so needed for once.

He could tell she had been stressed lately. The lack of sleep had been catching up with her. He could tell she tried to hide it from the group. She would often convey a more energetic attitude, which, had fooled the younger three of the group. But, not him. He did not miss the moments, when, she thought everyone was looking away, she would close her eyes for a moment, trying to give them a brief's moment's rest.

_Sleep well, Raine. _He thought, as he turned his gaze to the sky. Stars speckled the black sky in shimmering white dots.

His thoughts turned to the human ranch. Would he be able to conceal his anger from the group? Better yet, would he be able to conceal it from Raine. He thought for a moment that her gaze had lingered on his eyes, a puzzled look on her face. He had to keep his emotions under control. He just had to. No matter how he hated Kvar. He had to keep his past to himself. No one could no what he was now.

His gaze then turned to the moon. He calmed for a moment, taking in the beauty of the bright light emitting from the night sky.

_I will protect my comrades, and fight for their sakes, as well as mine._

Morning soon came, as the navy blue sky was replaced with various shades of brilliant oranges and purples. Then, the edge of the sun came into view as Raine was gently nudged awake.

She let out a soft groan, shielding her face with her blanket. "No...."

"Raine, you must get up. You need to change." It was Kratos's voice that startled her into consciousness.

"Huh? Oh. Yeah." She whispered, as she sat up, wiping her eyes. When she was finished, she searched the campsite, to see that Genis, Lloyd, and Colette were all still asleep.

He had noticed her disappointment of having to be one of the first up. "I wanted to let them sleep a little longer. I figured there was no need to get them up while you were changing."

She nodded in understanding, rising from her position, and hurriedly packing her stuff. Once finished, she groggily made her way into one of the broken down inns, figuring that would be the most privacy she would get.

When she came back out, the other three had been woken, and were slowly gathering their things.

Kratos seemed to be getting more and more impatient, but said nothing. He was now stroking Noishe, and occasionally checking to see if the three had finished packing.

Raine decided to hurry them along, seeing as that was part of her job as a teacher anyway.

"Genis, Colette, Lloyd, hurry. We need to get there as soon. And, just think, the sooner we get going, the sooner we can come back and rest."

This seemed to motivate them well enough, though, she noticed they gave her some odd looks. Apparently, they had not gotten a good look at her the night before in her costume. Even Kratos showed signs of surprise.

The armor was rather revealing, she had to admit. It showed off a good amount of her midsection, and the shorts were rather, well, short.

She suddenly felt self conscious, but shook it off. They had a job to do.

And with that, they were off to have another meeting with the leader of a human ranch.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~End of Chapter 11~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

All right. There you have it! I hope you enjoyed it! Please let me know how you liked it!

And, I will be working harder to get updates up here faster!

=]


	12. Infiltration

Back!

Now, on with it!

Disclaimer-I do not own Tales of Symphonia

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Chapter 12~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The first attempt at infiltrating the asgard ranch had been successful so far. Raine had led the rest of her group into the vast building. She could sense the immense presence of magitechnology, but ignored it for the moment. The task at hand was more important.

As they raced down corridor after corridor, they found themeselves, eventually, in the control room. There, as they knew, they could hack into the whereabouts of Kvar, as well as the captives. Raine soon had the map pulled up on the large computer. She could tell Kratos was impressed, having not seen her knowledge of computers much. Sure, she had set the Palmacosta ranch to self destruct using Magnius's computer, but, that was simple to find. Finding a map in Kvar's ranch was no minor task.

"All right," She began, studying the contents of the monitor before her. "It seems Kvar is farther in. I believe we have to go through the door to our immediate left to reach him. But, the captives, I believe are in one of the corridors from which we came."

She paused, searching the map for any other information she found useful. Soon, she found that the room leading to Kvar was protected by two different things. One was two conveyer belts that you had to shut off. Then, there were two switches in the opposite direction that needed to be turned on. When both tasks had been achieved, one could advance to the room that held Kvar.

She briefly explained this to the other four. None looked to please on these new obstacles, but, no one but Lloyd complained.

"Why?! We could just break open the door!"

Genis rolled his eyes. Evidently, he understood as well. "Lloyd, if we do that, the desians will be able to find us. We'll be turned in, and you'll lose your exsphere."

This seemed to register with Lloyd, as he no longer objected.

Suddenly, a deafening ring could be heard throughout the ranch. Raine's eyes shot to the monitor. There, it showed that they had traced a nonmember that had logged into the computer.

"Damn! They've tracked us! We have to get out of here!"

It seemed the others didn't need anymore motivation. They were soon darting to one of the doors. But, they were blocked by a familiar brunette man, who was joined by two desian soldiers.

"Hey! Its that desian, Botta!" Lloyd shouted.

Botta's brown eyes lingered on Lloyd for a moment, then jumped to Kratos. "So you're here. I think it would be best for both of us if we did not fight here."

Raine's attention turned to the brown-haired man, then to Kratos. It seemed she was not the only member in confusion. Lloyd, Genis, and Colette all had various puzzled looks plastered to their faces.

"Do what you will." The mercenary spat out. And, with that, the man and his followers darted from the room.

Colette was the next to speak. Her head turned towards the other door, the one Raine had pointed out earlier as the room that led to Kvar's whereabouts. "Sh! I can hear someone coming!"

Genis seemed to be the only one shocked that the girl could hear into the next room. So, that was it. Colette had told Lloyd about her slipping humanity, and her newfound angel senses. "What? I can't hear anything!"

They ignored him, as Colette darted down the stairs, followed closely by Kratos and Lloyd. The door glided open to reveal a rather tall blonde man. His hair was slicked back, and he wore a blue uniform. On his face could be found a large, pompous smirk. On either side of the man stood a desian soldier. They quickly ushered fire balls from identical staffs that darted straight for Kratos and Colette. Both were quickly shielded. Colette, by Lloyd's twin blades, and Kratos by his shield.

"Well, well. I assumed when I heard there were intruders it would be the renegades. But, instead I find the Chosen't group. How do you like my operation here?" At this question, he gestured an arm to point behind him, to a window that displayed some sort of cases being transported by conveyor belt into some room. To the left of this showed at least a dozen people all lined up. Evidently, they were the contents of the cases.

Raine was the first to catch on. She noted the other's faces contort into thought of what that meant. All except Kratos, who just stood there with his arms folded across his chest. However, he always appeared this way.

"Those...people...exspheres are made from humans?"

Kvar obviously found the distress in her voice amusing. He chuckled for a moment, and Raine could see Lloyd begin to shake with anger. "Well, I guess you could say that. We raise the inferior beings here while forcing them to do hard labor. That awakens the exspheres, which in turn absorb the inferior beings' lives."

"You!" Lloyd began. "You'll pay for this!" He quickly ran towards the man, at the ready to attack. But, Kvar was too fast for him. With a small laugh, he vanished, along with his soldiers.

"Damnet!" Lloyd shouted, pounding a fist into the wall.

"Lloyd," Raine turned to find Kratos as the source of the voice. His tone was gentle-soothing almost. "Do not worry. We will make him answer to his sins. But, we must be moving. We shall go along with the plan and advance into the next room."

No one objected. They were all ready to defeat Kvar, and rescue the captives.

Once in the next room, they were careful to avoid the guards. They could not be caught now. If they could just get rid of Kvar, and then deal with the guards that were around later, they could rescue the residents of Luin. Slowly they made their way further in. Finally they made it to a rather large platform where they had a better view of the humans being carted off to their deaths.

"This is terrible...I want to save them...." Raine could see Colette's eyes water at the sight before her. Her heart ached for the girl. She knew this did not settle well with the blonde.

"We will." Came Lloyd's reply. "We'll save them, and we'll make Kvar pay for what he did!"

Before they could go on, a voice rang through the air behind them. "Ah, I see you are admiring my work."

They turned to see Kvar standing before them. They were surrounded by soldiers. How could they not have noticed?

"Kvar!" Lloyd exclaimed, placing his hands on the handles to his blades. He crouched lower, at the ready to attack.

Kvar merely chuckled at Lloyd's anger. "Come now. Do you really want to die in the same manner as your pathetic mother?"

If the man's goal had been to buy himself some time from Lloyd's indefinite attack, he had achieved it. The boy stood frozen, eyes wide, and jaw dropped. "M-my mom? What did you do to my mom?!"

Raine's mind drifted from Kvar's immense explanation of Lloyd's mother's death. Her gaze had shifted to Kratos, who, was only a few feet from her. She could tell from her peripheral vision that he had tensed at the mention of the woman's demise. He apparently had not noticed his teeth were gritted as well as he listened. She couldn't help but wonder why he was so upset at hearing this. Could he have possibly known this woman? But, if so, how did he know it was the same person as Lloyd's mother.

She shrugged the thought off, as she heard Lloyd begin shouting at the desian. "You killed my-"

"Now, now. I was not the one that killed Anna. Your father did. It was rather pathetic. A couple of inferior beings."

This seemed to have been some sort of cue for the soldiers to close in on the five. They were forced to back away, and crowd together. Raine immediately grasped her brother's arm, at the ready to guide him into safety if possible.

But, there seemed to be no need. Seemingly out of nowhere, Sheena dropped from above, landing right in front of Lloyd and Colette.

"Stay back!" She shouted to the group. None protested. She grasped a paper with a charm out of her bag, studying it for a moment. Then, threw it to the ground, smoke overtaking the area at once. The outline of a rather large being could be seen through the cloudy substance. But, Raine for once did not have the desire to find out what it was.

"Let's go!" Sheena whispered. They obliged quickly, rushing behind her to get out of Kvar's clutches.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~End Of Chapter 12~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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	13. Secret Revealed

Disclaimer: I do not own Tales of Symphonia!

Okay! Sorry for the delay, guys! Been super busy! Anyway, I won't bore you!

Now on with it!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Chapter 13~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Once everyone had reached the safety of Luin, Raine turned her gaze to the human ranch, to make sure they hadn't been followed.

Everyone was silent for the moment, awaiting to catch their breath.

Colette was the first to break the silence, thanking Sheena.

"Don't mention it." The lavendar-haired ninja replied, leaning against the shattered remains of an inn.

Genis also piped his thanks, adding in some questions in a voice seeping with fascination. "How did you get there so fast? And, how did you know we were in trouble? What was that thing you had earlier? Why did you help us?"

But, before Raine could hear the answers to these questions, her attention was absorbed in finding out a little more about Kratos's history. The history he had with Lloyd's mother to be exact. She knew something had to be up. Kratos rarely revealed any emotion he was feeling. In fact, Raine had begun to think his face was made of stone the way it never changed from that of a look of indifference. So, why the sudden anger in Kvar's mutterings of this woman's demise? He was hiding something. But what?

As the half elf watched the sky grow darker, and the rest of the group begin to set up camp, Raine staggered of to gather firewood, with the full intent of coming back and confronting the mercenary.

Once she had staggered back, arms full of broken tree branches and twigs, she set them down, muttered a few words of encouragement to Lloyd, then beckoned Kratos to follow her into the woods.

Raine led the way, deeper into the forest, until they found a small clearing. Raine took a seat on a fallen tree trunk, and invited Kratos to seat himself next to her.

He obliged, turning his inquisitive gaze to focus on her.

"Kratos, I need to ask you something."

Silence. Which meant, this was an invitation to continue.

Raine quickly cleared her throat, in an effort to continue.

"Kratos, are you...Lloyd's father?"

Though her gaze had drifted to the ground, Raine could feel a slight shift in movement. Though she wasn't looking, Raine could tell he no longer had his body facing hers. He was now looking straight ahead.

"What is this nonsense you speak of, Raine? You know as well as I that I did not know that boy previous to this journey."

"Which is yet another part of this equation I have yet to understand." When she obtained no answer, she turned to him, then continued. "Kratos, I saw the way you reacted to Kvar's explanation of her death."

This still didn't seem to be a legitimate enough reason for him to own up to his fatherhood.

"Kratos, I know some things about you after the short time we've spent together. It may not be much, but I do know you would hardly react over something with little significance to you the way you did in there."

"I do not wish to hear anyone speak ill of the dead."

Raine sighed, pondering for a moment on how to counteract that statement. Maybe he was telling the truth. It would be plausible enough for Kratos to have a regal enough attitude to have some distaste for the belittling the dead. But, Kratos was a mercernary. What care should he have for the deceased? He killed people for a living, and disposed of their bodies as if they were mere garbage.

Not to mention the way he looked at Lloyd when he thought no one else was watching. But Raine noticed. She always noticed when the elder man had taken a great interest in the dealings of the brunette boy and his friends. And the way his lips would curve into an unconscious smile. Yes. She has wondered what was going on with this odd behavior previous. But, she had merely brushed it off as pride for the boy since Kratos had taken him under his wing to teach him swordsmanship.

But, once she had seen the way he reacted to Kvar's little speech of how Lloyd's mother's end came to be, the theory had risen itself once more in her mind. And this time, there was no little excuse that was going to satisfy her.

"Kratos, you're not going to throw me off your trail that easily. I'm not as simple-minded as you may think. I know you, better than you would think. I can tell there is some bond between you and Lloyd, one he hasn't even acknowledged." She said, finally.

Kratos cleared his throat, prepping himself for his final retort. It seemed to be taking him quite a while to think up another explantion.

Raine waited patiently for his reply.

Finally, all that came out of his mouth, was, "Believe what you will." And with that, he rose to his feet, and strode off.

If Raine hadn't known any better, she would have said the man had a slightly more aggressive gait as he meandered his way back to the campsite.

She just shook her head, taking that as a confirmation. She could feel her shoulders relax, the tension spilling out of her, having found out the answer to her long burning question.

But, just as quick as the stress had left her body, it entered back in. What would she do now? Should she tell Lloyd? But, telling him may upset him even further than he was now. He couldn't handle news like that at the moment. And, what about Kratos? She just couldn't bring herself to betray him.

But, if she didn't tell the brunette boy, then, she could be betraying him. He had a right to know who his father was. As far as he knew, his father had died along with his mother. Some joy could definitely be brought into his life.

What could she do?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~End of Chapter 13~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

That's all for that chapter! You just have to wait and find out if she tells Lloyd, or not.

Please review!


	14. Captured

I'm BAAAAAAaaaaaackkk!

Now, I know this may sound aggressive, but I really need some reviews on this story. I need some feedback on whether you like the direction this story is going in or not. And, I would just like to know if you have any thoughts.

Now, on with the story!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Chapter 14~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As Raine pondered all of this, she heard a slight rustling in the brush behind her. Discounting it as an animal wandering through the forest, she quickly turned her attention elsewhere.

But, she could not have been more wrong. Before she knew it, someone had an arm around her, and their hand clasped over her mouth. And, of course, she had left her staff back at camp. She tried to scream, but it only came out as a muffled cry, swallowed by the stranger's massive hand.

Soon, her vision began to blur. Alarmed, she quickly focused her energy on smelling out a chemical. Yes. She could smell it. It was some substance she had come across a time or two before, but the name had eluded her. She knew she didn't have much time before she would black out. She quickly bit down on her captor's hand, which was met by a howl of pain, and her brief freedom to scream out in terror. But, even as she screamed, she could tell it would not reach the camp. Her only hope was that Kratos had not made his way back to the camp, yet.

And then, everything went black.

When Raine awoke next, she could hear the slight sounds of movement on a wooden floor. Recalling her and her companions were staying outdoors that night, her eyes flew open.

She searched around her, noting she was in a small room. The room was filled with hunting tools. A picture that did not comfort her in the least. She also noticed she was lying on the floor in a sleeping bag.

The half elf began to panic, only feeling the brush of the sleeping bag on her bare body.

_Oh God..._Was all she could think. This could only mean one thing...she had been raped. And even worse, she had been raped by a hick.

She expected to feel the hot sting of tears forming in her eyes, but she did not. All she could think of was the need to escape. Her crystal eyes searched the room until she spotted her clothes, hanging from a crude hook in the wall.

She slowly slipped her legs out of the sleeping bag, gathereing it around her, and crept across the floor. Remembering someone else was in the house, she walked as quietly as she could until she reached her clothes.

Looking under the door for a few moments to be sure there was no movement outside of it, she quickly slipped into her outfit.

Now that she was clothed, the next pressing matter was how to get out of here. Her eyes searched for some sort of way out. She soon found a window. "Thank God...." she muttered to herself. She began to walk towards it, concentrating on not making a sound.

Suddenly, she heard someone shout, "Where do you think you're goin'?!"

Raine froze in her tracks. Apparently, she had been so focused on getting to the window, she hadn't heard the door open behind her. Slowly, she turned to face the man.

Her captor was a tall man, who looked to be around his 40's. And, he definitely was not what she expected. He had dark, almost black hair, slightly graying in some places. His face was lightly dusted from a slight beard. He wore a pair of jeans, and a plain white shirt. His appearance didn't scream "hick" like his "decor" did. Though, she did notice his hand was bandaged, a red stain appearing.

Raine could only stand and stare for a moment, her eyes widening.

"What's wrong with you? Can't you talk?!" The man sneered at her, obviously taking her silence as a result from fear.

"You!" She finally screeched, racing towards him, fists clenched. She watched as he took a step back, a wary look replacing the smug one that had once been there. It only fueled her as she sped up.

She raised her hand, preparing to strike him, when his hand caught her wrist. Taken aback for a moment, Raine was blinded by the oncoming force of his hand hurtling towards her face. She fell to the floor, a throbbing pain radiating through her cheek.

"How dare you, woman. How dare you try and hit me!"

And then, began the beating. He continued to punch her, and kick her. "Bitch! You don't know who you're messin' with!" He shouted, while she attempted to curl into a protective ball, trying to block the blows from reaching her face. Her vision was foggy, the full effect of the drug having not worn off yet.

Finally, after seemed to be an hour to the half elf, the blows stopped, and then she heard the man laugh, then lean down to her level. She felt his hot breath on her ear as he spoke, "You're pathetic, you know that? I heard such big stories about how the "legendary" Raine could outsmart anyone. If that was true, why are you still stuck here?" He paused for a moment, allowing her to absorb that. She felt him stroke the exposed part of her face. "Oh, Raine. You're useless to me. I thought you would have put up more of a fight, but you didn't. I'm finished with you. Now get out of my house!" He shouted, now pulling her up by her arms, and thrusting her out of the door way. He shoved her until they reached the exit, thrusting her out the door. "Bitch! You had better not tell anyone about this, or I'll find you, and kill you!" He screamed, as he slammed the door in her face.

Raine stood there for a moment, trying to absorb everything that had just happened. She knew this was unwise, that she should be dashing off the man's property, in case he decided at the last minute that he wasn't finished with her. She pondered his last sentence to her. She almost wondered if death would be better than living with the knowledge of what had happened.

She then shrugged the thought of. No. Genis needed her, and she just had to see him again. Slowly, she began to walk away, unsure of which way was right. She wondered what the others thought of her disappearance. She hoped they were searching for her, instead of Kratos assuming her to have gone off on her own to cool off from their heated conversation.

That's when the pain hit her. Every inch of her body seemed to throb with pain as the shock wore off. But, she knew she had to keep going. She trudged on through the forest. As she did, the day's events finally hit her.

It was as if every bit of hope was sucked from her as she thought about the rape. Leaning against a tree, she sank to her knees. Thankfully, she had walked pretty far from her captor's house, so she was out of sight.

She did have one thing to be thankful for: she didn't remember it. Because of the chemical he had used, she was unconscious the entire time. Which, though comforting, it was also alarming. What else could he have done to her?

She couldn't think about that. Not now. She had more important things to do. It was getting dark outside, and Raine knew she had to rest. Not only was her body racked with pain, she was exhauted.

Deciding she could sort things out, and continue her search tomorrow, the half elf leaned her head against the tree trunk, and allowed for her eyes to shut.

The next morning, Raine was awoken by the rustling of leaves. Jerking into a seated position, her eyes searched for any sign of the rapist. But, instead, she found Lloyd's face in front of hers.

At seeing her now open eyes, Lloyd's face lit up. "Hey! Guys! She's awake!"

That's when the silver-haired woman realized she was in a warm sleeping bag, back in the camp with her companions. Did this mean she had dreampt everything? Then why was Lloyd so excited over her waking up.

She then turned her head, and watched as Colette, and Genis raced over to her.

"Sis! Are you okay? You look terrible!" Genis shouted at her.

Raine raised a brow out him, causing her forhead to sting in protest. She ignored it for the moment to answer him. "Thanks, Genis. And yes, I'm fine. Just a little banged up."

Now it was Colette's turn to question. "What happened to you, Professor?"

"I just went for a walk, and I ended up having to fight some guys that showed up. Its no big deal."

"You walked that far?"

Raine turned her head to her right, finding Sheena sitting next to her.

"Uh, well...."

"Well, it does not matter now. We have her back, and that is all that mattered." Raine then turned to find Kratos, who had seemingly just returned to the camp. He met her eyes, and she could see a hint of anger in his eyes. She wondered if he was still upset about her inquiring of Lloyd's heritage.

He then turned to the rest of the group. "Lloyd, why don't you take Genis, Colette, and Sheena to go search the area. We need to get moving to find the next seal."

The brunette boy stared for a moment, then nodded his head. Standing to his feet, he ushered the others to do the same, and walk out of the campsite.

There were a few moments of awkward silence as they waited to be sure that the other three were out of ear shot.

Then, Kratos broke it. "Where were you, Raine."

Raine lifted her gaze to his face. She could tell he didn't believe her previous story, but she had to try and stick to it.

"Like I said, I went for a walk, and I ran into some strange men that I ended up fighting on my own." She could feel her gaze fall away from him.

_Damn! _She thought to herself. _I need to be more convincing. He's not going to believe me if I can't make eye contact with him. _

"Raine, don't lie to me. I know you, and I know you what you are capable of. If you had been in a fight, even without your staff, you would not have been so easily overcome."

"Well, that's what happened, and if you don't believe it, then-"

"No!" Raine jumped at hearing the crimson-haired man's raised voice. Her eyes raised to him, as he darted towards her, and knelt in front of her, his piercing gaze almost too much for her.

"Raine, when I found you out in the forest, you had dried blood trailing down your legs. I am not easily fooled, Raine. I know something happened. Now, what was it?"

And that's when Raine could feel the tears stinging at the back of her eyes. She quickly lowered her head, attempting to hide the emotion she knew was written all over her face. "Kratos, please don't...." Was all she could say, and even then, it came out as a choked whisper. She cursed herself for sounding so weak. How could one man have done this to her?

But, then she felt Kratos's hand push a lock of hair behind her ear.

"I don't remember it." She told him, knowing he was aware of her rape. She already knew him to be clever enough to have figured it out at some point or another. She could feel the tears flow freely down her cheeks. She no longer had the energy to fight them. So many emotions ran through her at once; confusion, pain, shame.

But then, Kratos's arms were around her, and for what seemed like the first time in ages, she felt safe. Though, a throbbing ache made itself known at his touch, she allowed herself to lean her head against his chest, and continue to cry. After several minutes, she finally calmed down, Kratos still holding her small frame to him. She could feel as one of his hands stroked her silver hair in a calming manner.

Finally, he spoke, addressing her last statement. "It is best you do not remember. But, you do need time to rest." He pulled back from her, getting a better look at the young woman's face. "We need to be sure you are properly healed before we must continue. Now, Raine, you much lie back." The mercenary instructed as he guided her back down with his arms.

A pressing question crossed Raine's mind then. "Kratos, how long was I away?" She asked, almost afraid of the answer. She had to be sure it was not too long.

"Two weeks." Came his soft reply. Raine could the shock wave over her. That had to have meant more things must had happened to her while she was still unconscious in that horrible man's house.

Though, she willed herself to be strong, and just nod. She then turned on her side, trying to avoid any more of the coversation for the time being.

Weeks had gone by, and Raine had recovered for the most part. She still had some cuts and bruises left to heal, but for the most part, she could travel again.

Though no one had complained while they were immobile, Raine could feel the overwhelming excitement in everyone when she was finally well enough to walk again.

A doctor had looked at her the day after her return to her group, and had stated that, though she had no broken bones, she had a few cracked ribs, and a few cuts she had not noticed before that had needed stitching. Apparently, the kidnapper had decided rough sex was the way to go. Especially when the woman was too drugged to know what was happening.

But, all of that was in the back of her mind. She was all right.

Kratos had agreed to not telling any of the others of her true whereabouts, which made things much easier on the half elf.

As they prepared to find the next seal, the group had decided to find a town close by, and get a decent meal.

They stumbled upon Hima, deciding the village looked well-stocked enough to hold some decent food.

"Hello!" Greeted a young man trailed by a cart full of food.

"Hi!" Colette greeted back.

"What's with all the food?" Lloyd asked, blunt as usual.

Upon the acknowledgement of the food, the man's smile grew wider. "I'm on my way to Luin. There are some people from the ranch that returned there. I wanted to be able to take them some food since they have nothing left there."

Raine, getting a wiff of some of the seafood stocked in the wooden cart could feel her stomach jerk in protest. "Uhhh...." She groaned, earning her curious glances from the other four, as well as the stranger.

"What's wrong, Raine?" Sheena asked the young woman.

"N-nothing. Just, not feeling too well...." Another stream of the odor hit her nose once more, and this time she had to clasp her hands over her mouth to keep from vomiting. She held up a hand, and ran over to a deserted part of the village that met with the surrounding field.

She could feel as the rest of the contents of her stomach fell onto the grass. Once she was finished, she leaned back, allowing for her breath to catch up. This had been happening quite frequently lately.

She had considered one cause for this, but immediately discounted it. She just could not invest herself in that possibility. Enough had happened to her already. She couldn't explore a theory that would cause her anymore distress.

Her thoughts were interrupted as another bout of sickness overcame her. She knew it was futile to ignore the truth. Odds were, her life was about to be changed....


	15. New Problems

All right, guys. I know it took forever for me to come out with a new chapter to the story, but I've been super busy!

Anyway, sorry about the wait! Let's get on with the story!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Chapter 15~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kratos watched as the silver-haired woman sped off, her hand covering her nose and mouth, as if the smell of the food in the traveler's cart was toxic.

He wondered if she had become ill after traveling so long. Of course they had gotten a break for a few weeks when she was healing after being abducted. However, he had noticed after she was well enough to move, Raine had been training on her spells almost all day. Sometimes, skipping meals in order to enhance her abilities. Maybe she was just exhausted.

His thoughts were soon silenced as he noticed Raine emerge, making her way back to the group, still looking quite pale.

"Raine!" Genis shouted, breaking the silence. "Are you all right?" He asked as she drew closer.

Raine nodded her head slowly, finally making it back to the group. "Yes. I just can not seem to tolerate the smell of seafood."

Kratos noticed Genis furrow a brow at this statement, but he didn't question her explanation.

"All right," Lloyd began, turning back to the traveler. "We'll help you carry everything back to Luin." The brunette boy then focused his attention on his teacher. "But not you, professor. You better not come with us if the smell of the fish makes you sick. You better stay here. We should be back by tomorrow anyway."

"But, shouldn't one of us stay with her?" Colette asked.

"No, no. I'm fine. I can stay in the inn here. I'll be safe there." Raine answered quickly.

Kratos could feel a small sense of longing to be with her tonight. Just to have a room to themselves, so he could help her get well. But, he knew it had been decided. They needed him to assist in this mission, and he needed to guard Colette as well.

"Very well. Then, shall we be going, Lloyd?" Kratos asked the boy.

Lloyd nodded his head as he grabbed a box of food from the man's cart.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~Raine's Point of View~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After seeing the group off, and obtaining a key from the lady at the front desk of the small inn, Raine was now changing into her pajamas.

It was nice she would be alone tonight. She had a lot to think about.

_I'm...pregnant...How could this happen to me? Now of all times. If anyone would find out, I wouldn't be able to travel with the group anymore. They would stuff me in some little dirt town like this to keep my safe. And Kratos...what would he think of this? He of course would no longer wish to carry on with our...'relationship'. _

She sighed as she took a seat on the small bed. She had to be at least a month and a half along. So, at least it would be a while before she would begin showing.

She then turned her attention to the tiny window in the room. She could see that the sun was already beginning to set. She knew it would be a good idea to try and get some sleep. With Kratos's urging, the group would most likely be back around early morning.

Raine sighed, pulling back the tattered quilt, and climbed into the bed.

She closed her eyes, and soon, the young woman was asleep.

She then awoke even before the first ray of sun filtered into the window, her stomach jolting. Raine darted to the small trash can in the room.

Once she was done, Raine slowly stood, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand.

She still felt queasy, so she sat on the edge of the bed for a while, trying to settle her stomach.

_Ugh...I have got to get this infernal vomiting under control. The others are beginning to notice it. _

After a while, seated on the edge of the bed, Raine figured she was settled enough to try and fall back asleep.

She laid there awake for what seemed like an eternity, as the room began to grow lighter, and lighter. She knew dawn had already approached, and that meant it was time for her to get up, and ready her things.

Still feeling slightly nauseated, Raine slowly changed her clothes, and packed her things. With the sun completely risen, Raine left her room, and handed her key back to the front desk woman.

"How was your stay?" The woman asked.

"It was great." Raine told her, forcing a smile.

She then exited the inn, ready to rejoin with her friends.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Kratos's Point of View~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kratos could see Raine standing by the front of the inn, the sunlight catching her brilliant face, and her beautiful hair, causing both to shine brighter. She looked radiant.

"Raine!" Genis called, racing towards her.

Upon hearing her brother's voice, Raine turned to face the boy as he reached her.

"Genis! How did everything go?"

"It was great! It was nice to see all the villagers' faces when they saw all the food." Came Genis's reply.

Pretty soon, everyone else had reached the Sage siblings.

"Yeah, Raine. Its too bad you couldn't come. You would have enjoyed seeing how much progress the city's making to rebuilding itself." Sheena added.

Raine just smiled. "I'll see it soon."

Kratos knew the woman would have rather been able to join them, but it had to be nice to have a night by herself.

"All right. Shall we be on our way, then? We should check out the top of the mountain here. I heard you can see the Tower of Salvation from here." Kratos stated.

Lloyd nodded. "Yeah. Maybe we can find a way to get over there."

Soon, everyone was on their way to the top of the mountain. Genis and Lloyd were talking about how cool it was going to be to see the tower, Sheena and Colette were chatting about hopefully sleeping indoors tonight, and Raine seemed to be lost in her own thoughts.

Of course it was normal for Kratos to be silent during their trips, but, for Raine, it was odd. At this point, he expected for her to start quizzing the younger part of the group on the altitude of Mount Hima. But, that was not the case today. She only looked straight ahead of her, her crystal eyes glazed over.

Kratos wondered desperately what was going on in the woman's mind. He would have to find out tonight. He hoped they would have to set up camp somewhere today. He knew there was one more seal for them to beat, and hopefully, he would be able to sneak off with Raine. He had to know what was on her mind.

This thought began to bother Kratos. He had never cared so deeply about any woman. Not since Anna. And Anna, he had known for years. Raine, he barely knew. But, there was something about the half elf that intrigued him. And he had to admit it-he was falling for her. And falling for her hard.

However, this was not good news. Kratos knew there was limited time for them to be together. He was going to have to leave the group, and he knew she would hate him for it. He almost wanted to prolong their time together, but he knew there was a more important task at hand. He just had to remember that.

"Here it is!" Lloyd shouted.

"Oh wow." Said Colette, admiring the beauty of the scenery.

Even Sheena chimed in. "This is amazing."

Kratos looked around, seeing the breathtaking view of the Tower of Salvation sorrounded by gorgeous white clouds. The trees that were scattered by the tower looked impossibly small next to the giant building.

"Hmm...I think there are mountains all around it." Lloyd said, squinting to see further.

"Yeah! You're right!" Genis said.

"We'll have to find a way to fly over there." Kratos said, letting a small sigh escape.

After a few more minutes of admiring the beauty, and both Kratos and Raine reminding the rest of the group a few times that they still had to find the last seal, and did not have time to be sight-seeing, the group left.

They traveled until dusk, and decided to set up camp a little further past Luin.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~Raine's Point of View~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Raine, of course did not volunteer to go get firewood, as she had not for weeks. Not since her kidnapping. So, Lloyd and Genis had volunteered to do so. Sheena and Colette were busy preparing their sleeping bags, and chatting about making it to the final seal.

And Kratos, well, he had kept a close eye on her all day. And now that no one was paying attention, she could feel him trying to make eye contact with her. She knew he wanted to talk, but she was not up for it.

He would want to talk about that horrible incident, and she just was not ready for that. The thought of it brought her close to tears. To talk about it, would be even worse. Not to mention, that most likely, she would let it slip that maniac had gotten her pregnant. No. She didn't need that.

So, instead, she kept herself busy with readying her sleeping bag, as well as feeding Noishe.

She knew couldn't throw him off so easily, but, if she kept herself busy, and with Sheena and Colette there, he wouldn't make a scene in trying to speak with her.

Soon, Lloyd and Genis returned, arms full of branches and twigs.

They quickly set up a fire, and Genis began making dinner for everyone.

After dinner, everyone was in bed, ready to get a good night's rest. With the exception of Kratos of course. The mercenary always volunteered to be the night watch, and tonight was no different.

Raine laid her head down on her makeshift pillow, turning her body away from the rest of the group.

Soon, she was fast asleep.

Of couse, Raine's sleep did not last long, as yet again, another jolt from her stomach awoke her.

The half elf quickly removed her blanket, and raced away from the camp until she was sure no one would hear her.

After she was through, Raine placed a hand to her abdomen, trying to steady her breathing. She sat for a while, drained, and exhausted. Her eyes drifted to the sky.

From the placing of the moon, she couldn't have been asleep for more than an hour. Her morning sickness was getting worse. She was half tempted to just stay out in the field, in case she got sick again.

Her stomach churned again, and she quickly turned her head to the ground again.

"Raine?" She heard through her hideous-sounding retching.

That was Kratos's voice.

"Here." She called. Sounding weaker than she wished.

She turned her head to see Kratos nearing her.

"Are you all right?" He asked, kneeling next to her.

"Yes. Fine. Just, I think I may have caught something. I'll be fine. It will pass." Raine answered, not meeting his eyes.

She knew she didn't sound convincing, but she didn't have the energy to explain further.

"Raine, I know what's going on." Kratos began. "You are barely eating, and you have not been resting much. You have exhausted yourself. If you are to continue traveling with us, you need to take better care of yourself."

Raine sighed, nodding her head, glad Kratos thought she was just exhausted. "I will. I jus-"

The half elf was soon interrupted by another bout of sickness washing over her.

She could feel Kratos grabbing her hair to hold it back as she emptied the contents of her stomach onto the grass.

She almost wished he would just leave her alone out there, let her be sick in peace. But, that was not so. When she was finished, Kratos released her hair, but she remained hunched over the ground.

"Are you feeling better now?" Kratos asked after a couple minutes of silence.

Raine thought about that for a moment. She did actually feel a little better. Slightly nauseous, but a lot better.

"Yes." She answered, slowly raising her head. "But I'm exhausted."

"Would you like me to carry you?"

Normally, Raine would have said no, but she felt she could not even stand, let alone walk. She felt so dizzy, she had to close her eyes to steady herself. "Please." She said.

She could feel Kratos's strong arms scoop her up gently. She grasped onto him tightly, still keeping her eyes shut.

"Thank you." Raine said dreamily. She could feel exhaustion pull her consciousness away, as she slowly fell asleep once more.

Raine awoke to the sounds of sleeping bags rustling, and early morning chatter. She slowly opened her eyes to see the rest of the group already packing their things away, and readying themselfves for breakfast.

Of course, the odor of the food caused Raine's stomach to do cartwheels, but, since she had emptied all of its contents the night before, she did not feel the impending urge to vomit.

The half elf quickly scrambled to get out of her bed, but immediately regretted the sudden movement.

She had heard from ladies in Iselia when they got pregnant that they would get really dizzy. She had always thought they had overreacted. Now, she knew it to be true.

She felt a firm hand on her shoulder, steadying her. Her gaze, when it was back to normal, followed the hand back up to Kratos.

The look on his face was quizzical, but Raine just shook her head, muttering a quick "thanks", as she searched the rest of the camp to make sure no one else had noticed this little episode.

Thankfully, everyone was to wrapped up in their morning duties to have seen.

Raine let a small sigh of relief escape her lips as she felt Kratos's hand leave her shoulder.

Amazingly, she got through the rest of her ritual without anything else out of the ordinary happening to her.

Once everyone had changed, and had breakfast, they ventured on. Soon, they could see the tower of mana appear before them.

"There it is! There it is!" Genis shouted, beginning to run towards the huge building.

Raine could feel her overwhelming motherly instincts kick in as she shouted after him, "Genis! Slow down! You're going to hurt yourself!"

Of course, the boy did not listen, and he soon fell.

"Owww..." He moaned, grasping his knee.

Raine raced to the boy, grabbing her first aid kit out of her bag.

"Genis, how many times do I have to tell you? When you get excited like this, you trip easily. Look. You have a cut." She quickly fished a tube of medicine out of her bag, as she smeared some on her finger. "Now, this may sting a bit." She warned, plazing the ointment on Genis's knee.

"Oww!" Genis yelped.

Raine rolled her eyes, placing the cap back on the medicine, and throwing it back into her bag. "Oh, don't be a baby."

And with that, the siblings were back up, and ready to rejoin the group as they ventured on towards the tower.

After defeating the guardian at the end of the temple, Remiel of course appeared once more, giving Colette words of encouragement, and directions to the final seal, which of course they all knew was the Tower of Salvation.

They quickly made their way back out of the temple, as Colette suddenly collapsed again. Luckily, she had Lloyd to catch her.

"Colette!" He shouted.

"The angel toxicosis again. We must stay here the night, and let her rest." Raine told the group.

Lloyd seemed to not hear the woman, as he focused all of his attention on Colette, easing her to the ground, to allow her to seat herself.

"Colette, are you all right? Does it hurt?"

But, all that came out of the blonde's voice was a tiny gasp, that even seemed to shock her.

"W-what? Colette?" Lloyd persisted.

"It seems she has lost her voice." Kratos explained. "We must let her rest. Shall we set up camp, then?"

Raine could tell Lloyd was not pleased with how dismissive Kratos sounded, but for the sake of Colette, he kept quiet, and assisted as everyone, excluding Colette who was propped up against a wall, set up camp.

Thankfully, the sun began to set not too much longer, and Genis began preparing dinner.

Upon Kratos's watchful eye, Raine helped herself to a normal supply of food, knowing full well it would end up in the grass again tonight. But, she had to keep satisfy Kratos's nagging at eating well.

And again, all were in bed, ready for a good night's sleep.

The night went by usually for Raine. She had to get up three different times to throw up, and was of course drained by the time she, and everyone else had to get up.

It was raining today, which made everything worse. But, they had no choice, they had to travel back to Hima. Rumor had it that someone there was selling dragon rides to the Tower. It had partly been the reason they had traveled there the last time, to see if he had been there.

The hours seemed to drag by, as the group trudged on in the mud.

Raine knew if she got sick, it couldn't be good for the baby. But, since when did she care about the well-being of the product of her rape? She could tell she was actually beginning to feel motherly towards the child inside her. After all, it wasn't the child's fault for what its father had done to her. And, it was half her, right?

_Of course. Even if this child is the product of my rape, its still mine. I have to take care of it. _She thought to herself.

She fought the urge to place a hand over her abdomen. It was something she was fighting with lately. For some reason, it was soothing to her to place her hand where her baby lay.

But, if she let herself do so, someone was bound to notice, and on top of all of her odd behavior lately, it was bound to lead back to the possibility of her being pregnant. So, for now, she had to tough it out.

Soon, mount Hima could be seen in the distance. They were more than halfway there now. But, of course, darkness was approaching once more. They would have to set up camp again.

Thankfully, the rain had ceased by the time they decided to call it a night. The ground was wet and muddy, but they would have to make do.

The night routine was normal, as always. Raine's morning sickness awoke her in the middle of the night.

This time, Kratos decided not to follow her. She would be fine.

Morning came not too soon, and the group ventured off once more. The sky was cloudy, but there was no sign of rain.

They eventually reached the city of Hima, slowly trudging in. They decided, even though it would be getting late soon, that they should at least check out the top of the mountain once more, to see if the dragon guy was there.

Sure enough, once they reached the top of the mountain, they saw a man awaiting them. He had dragons with him, only tied to some torches by a rope.

"Hey, sir!" Lloyd greeted the man.

"Hey there, boy! You wanting to rent a dragon?" The man asked eagerly.

"Yeah, actually, we are." Sheena interjected. "We were wishing to go to the Tower of Salvation. Your dragons will take us there, right?"

"Sure will, ma'am. But, they'll only fly you around the tower. They won't drop you off, or nothin'."

"Oh, that's no good. We need to go to the tower..." Lloyd said, pausing. He then turned to Kratos and Raine. "I guess we'll have to find another way to get there. How are we going to finish the regeneration journey then?"

At this, the man's face lit up. "You all are the Chosen's group? Hey, I'll let you ride them to the tower then! Free of charge!"

"Really? That would be amazing!" Genis exclaimed.

The man nodded. "Sure will. Just, please be careful with my dragons. They may not look it, but they're fragile creatures. I hear there are dangerous grounds around that tower."

Raine held up a hand to the man, silencing him. "Say no more, sir. We'll be very careful. And we'll send them straight back to you."

"Aw, thank you purty lady!" He said, blushing a bit at Raine. "Well, just meet me back up here tomorrow morning, and I'll get you all set up."

After everyone had exclaimed their thank yous to the man, the group was off to the inn.

Genis and Lloyd decided to share a room, as well as Sheena and Colette, which left Kratos, and Raine to their own rooms.

Kratos knew tonight, he had to spend with Raine. It would be their last together for a while, and he had to see her before he left.

Raine made her way into her bathroom, changing into her pajamas. It would be nice to sleep indoors again, even if this hotel wasn't the nicest they had stayed at.

When Raine took her shirt off, she began examining her abdomen. Of course, there wasn't much of a change yet, but she could see a very slight roundness beginning to emerge.

She slid a hand over the tiny bump, marveling at it.

A gentle knock at her room door interrupted her, and she quickly pulled her pajama shirt over her head, and raced to the door to answer it.

"Kratos?" She asked.

The mercenary answered with a gentle kiss, stepping forward, and guiding Raine further into the room. He quickly closed the door with his left hand, and placed his right hand on Raine's cheek, brushing her hair behind her ear.

Raine, in shock, gently pushed him away.

"Raine?" Kratos asked, his crimson eyes meeting her blue ones.

Raine didn't answer, just seated herself on the bed. "Kratos, I'm sorry...I just can't...not...not yet..." She could feel the tears begin to fill the backs of her eyes. She felt awful for denying Kratos. Of course she wanted to be with him tonight, but, it still seemed so soon after the rape.

She just hoped Kratos wasn't too upset with her. He had been trying to be romantic, and he was being all too patient with her.

She could feel her eyes begin to burn with the tears attempting to escape, and she placed her face in her hands.

She could feel the bed slump next to her, as Kratos put his arm around her. "Raine, it is all right. I understand. You do not have to be sorry for what happened to you."

With this statement, all the pent up tears began spilling down Raine's face.

"I-ju-just don't w-want you to b-be upset w-with me!" She choked out between sobs.

Kratos then reached over to her, embracing her. "Raine, you need not worry yourself with that. I am not upset with you. I understand why you would not want to be intimate tonight."

Raine buried her face in Kratos's chest, and wrapped her arms around him. "P-please don't le-leave yet." Though she was ashamed Kratos had to see her like this, the half elf had to admit, it was comforting to finally be able to let out her misery from that day. She had kept it bottled up for almost two months, trying to hide the awful truth from the other part of the group. The part that had no idea what had happened to her.

"I will stay with you as long as you wish." Kratos answered her.

And so Raine cried a little while longer. Finally calming down. She could feel she was becoming weary, and she knew Kratos would need to get some rest as well. As much as she wished him to stay, she knew it would be best if they rested. They had a long day ahead of them tomorrow.

When she had ceased crying for a while, Raine pulled herself away from Kratos's strong grip. "We should get some sleep." She stated, her voice still shaky.

Kratos reached up, and brushed some of the tears off her face. "Let me stay until you fall asleep."

Raine pondered this for a moment. There was no harm in him staying until then. The only reason she wanted him to leave, was so he would not witness her getting sick again.

"All tight. But, as long as you leave right after. You need your rest, too."

Kratos nodded his agreement, as he stood to his feet. Raine followed suit, though slower, as to avoid another dizzy spell around him. She gently pulled back the cover, then turned back to Kratos.

Raine slowly reached up, and kissed Kratos, placing her hands on his arms. When she pulled back, she said, "Thank you Kratos, for staying with me."

Kratos nodded, watching as she slipped into the bed. Kratos then took a seat in a small wooden chair in the room, watching as Raine's eyes began to close.

When Raine awoke, she once again could feel the nausea overtake her. She quickly jumped up, and found the small trash can in the room.

"Ugh..." She moaned, clutching her stomach. Her eyes frantically searched the room, making sure Kratos had held up his end of the agreement by leaving after she fell asleep. Thankfully, it seemed he had.

_Good, so he won't notice my vomiting fit this time. _

After a few more fits of sickness, Raine climbed back into the bed, and attempted to sleep once more.

Raine awoke once dawn broke through her window. She knew she had better rise, but she felt so weary from her lack of sleep.

Deciding it was best to get up, Raine rolled out of the bed, and changed into her normal clothes once more. She then packed her things, and headed out of her room.

No one else had emerged from their rooms, yet, so Raine waited outside of the inn.

Though, she didn't have long to wait, as Kratos soon walked out of the door.

"Good morning, Raine. How did you sleep?"

Raine forced a smile. "All right. How did you sleep?"

"Fine." Came his short reply.

"So, how long did you stay after I fell asleep?" Raine asked.

Kratos seemed to ponder this for a moment. "About an hour, I suppose. I wanted to be sure you would stay asleep."

Raine nodded, satisfied with this answer. She longed to have him hold her again, but she knew the others would be joining them soon, and she knew it would be tough to explain that.

As if on cue, one by one, they filed out. First Genis, then Sheena, then Colette, then finally, Lloyd, who as usual, was always last to get up.

It seemed to fast that they had reached the top of the mountain, where the dragon man awaited them. He had placed a saddle on each of the dragons.

There were three, which meant two each would have to go on one.

The order was decided as this; Kratos would ride with Colette, Genis with Sheena, and Lloyd and Raine.

As they took off, Raine gripped harder onto Lloyd, who of course wanted to ride in front to steer the dragon. She could feel her grip begin to weaken, as she became dizzy from the fast movement, and she quickly closed her eyes.

"Professor? You can let go now. We're here." She heard Lloyd say to her.

She quickly let go, and waited as Lloyd slid off the dragon, and then helped her down.

Then, the dragon flew off.

"I wonder how we're going to get back." Lloyd said aloud.

"No time for that. The door's open, Colette must be here! Let's go!" Raine shouted, ignoring her fleeting energy, and darting into the Tower, Lloyd in toe.

They raced down an empty hallway, noting strange objects floating off in the distance.

"W-wait a m-minute!" Lloyd shouted, coming to a hault.

Raine stopped as well, slowly seating herself to avoid a fainting spell.

She waited as Lloyd caught his breath.

"Don't...don't those look like...coffins?" He asked, finally, pointing at the floating objects off in the distance.

Raine followed his gaze, squinting at the black objects.

"They...do..." She trailed off. The then let out a gasp, slowly getting to her feet. "Those...those must be the coffins of the chosen that failed!"

That was all Lloyd needed to hear. "Colette..." He whispered, then took off running once more. Raine, once more sped off as well.

They soon came across a transporter. Without hesitating, both stepped in, and the coffins, and the hallway, disappeared.

They then found themselves in a large room. At the far end of the room, they could see an altar, where Colette stood, and Remiel hovered above.

"Now, chosen one, my daughter, pray to the goddess Martel, and your journey shall finally be over!"

Colette nodded, kneeling down, and bowing her head.

Her wings then spread out from her back, and brilliant lights began to surround her, as her body was raised in midair.

"What's...going on?"

Raine turned her head to see Sheena there. Her and Genis seemed to have just arrived.

Before Raine could answer, it seemed Remiel decided to.

"The Chosen's soul will die, and her body will be Martel's new vessel!"

"What?" Lloyd shouted, running towards the altar.

"You can't do that?" Genis agreed.

Colette's eyes opened, and she looked down at Lloyd, a tear rolling down her cheek.

_"_Suddenly, Lloyd's voice flooded the room. "Colette? You can talk?"

Raine furrowed a brow, then looked to everyone else nearby to make sure she hadn't missed Colette's voice.

It seemed Sheena and Genis were just as dumbfounded as her.

So, either Lloyd was going crazy, or he could hear her voice somehow..."Fascinating..." Raine said.

She could feel Sheena's and Genis's eyes on her, but she quickly waved them away.

"But Colette! There has to be another way! What about your friends? Your family? What about...me?" Raine could tell by his last sentence, that Lloyd was beginning to cry.

She hadn't witnessed the boy cry since he was little, and it did not sit well with the half elf to witness it now.

"No! Colette! Please! Don't go!"

By this time, Genis had run up behind the boy, and grabbed his arms to prevent him from running up the altar.

"Lloyd, I'm going to miss her, too, but, the world will die if we don't do something!" Genis shouted in a sad attempt to calm the boy.

"I don't care! Colette!"

"Foolish boy." Came Remiel's snide voice. "The Chosen can no longer hear you. Her soul is gone now!"

"You bastard!" Lloyd screeched, breaking free from Genis, and unsheathing his swords.

"Foolish human! You dare think you can defeat me? I shall finish you in one blow! Then, the Chosen shall be Lord Yggdrassil's!"

Raine could feel something was not right here. She knew Colette would die, and their world would once again prosper, but something seemed sinister about the angel taking Colette. She could sense Sheena and Genis begin to feel the same as well, as they drug out their weapons.

Raine folllowed suit, grasping her staff.

She knew this would be a tricky battle. Especially because Kratos was no where to be found, and it was always nice to have him there to protect the rest of the group.

But, Raine did not have time to dwell on that for long, as a bolt of energy flashed right next to her.

All right, bad news, he was powerful, good news, he had awful aim.

She watched as Lloyd leapt up to strike the blonde. He was interrupted, as Remiel swatted him away. Raine quickly sent a healing spell his way, and the boy was soon back up, and ready to fight.

This went on for a while, and Raine wished she could use some of her attacks on him, but since they were light-based attacks, and he was an angel, not much damage would be dealt to him. So, for now, she was of more use staying back, and healing the others.

This went on for a while longer, but she began to notice that Remiel's attacks were much more scattered and frantic then they had been, and he was beginning to slump where he hovered.

Luckily, a few more hits were dealt from Genis and Sheena, and Remiel fell to the floor.

"You wretched humans!" He shouted, doubled over in pain. "You shall not have her!"

Lloyd. taking this as a chance to attack once more, was interrupted when Kratos appeared before him.

"Cease your attack, Lloyd." The man almost spat at the boy.

"Kratos! Where have you been? You could have helped us!" Lloyd shouted, taking a few steps towards the mercenary.

He then stopped, as Kratos held a hand out to him, then, turned, and knelt next to Remiel.

"Lord Kratos...please...heal me...I am in so much pain!" The angel pleaded.

_LORD Kratos? What is going on here? Why did he just talk to Kratos like he knows him?_

"You beg from me to heal you? Do not forget, Remiel, I was once a human. A creature you despise."

Raine felt as though her head would explode from all the confusion buzzing around in her head. Kratos was no longer a human? And it seemed he and Remiel did know each other. This all seemed unreal.

Raine watched as the blonde figure slumped face-first to the ground, dissipating as he fell.

Kratos then turned his attention back to his former comrades, feathery blue wings spreading forth from his back.

"I am Kratos, one of the four seraphim, and humble servant to Lord Yggdrassil."

Raine tried to make contact with the man, just once, so he could tell her it was all a joke. But, he never once met her eyes.

"You...you lied to us?" Lloyd shrieked. "We trusted you?"

"How could you do this to us?" Sheena shouted.

Raine heard Genis yell something as well, but she couldn't make out what. Her knees buckled from under her. Her head was pounding.

This man, the man she had let so close to her, the man she had poured her soul into, the man she had been intimate with for so long, had betrayed them? How had she not known?

Raine gasped, trying to grasp onto reality once more. She had to get it together. Her group needed her now. She raised her gaze back to what was happening. Apparently, a battle had broken out between them.

Raine slowly raised herself, trying to ignore the shakiness in her legs.

Soon, she was releasing spell after spell, the rage having taken over.

_Everything was a lie! Everything he told me! Every moment we were together! How dare he? _

She could tell everyone else felt they had been betrayed as well. But, to her, it almost seemed worse. She was the closest to him, and this is how he repaid her? For all those precious moments they had spent together?

He had made a mockery out of her, and she was not letting him get away with it.

She watched as one after another of her fellow group fell to the ground, injured from Kratos's attacks. She had to admit. He was a great fighter. But, she could heal fast.

The battle lasted rather long, and Raine was feeling drained from using so much magic.

Fortunately for her, Kratos was becoming weaker, and weaker. And, finally, he fell to his knees, not as weak as Remiel had been when he had been defeated, but it seemed he did not have much fight left in him.

Just when things were beginning to look up, a man with long blonde hair appeared, hovering above the altar, beautiful wings of all colors holding him up.

He then lowered himself next to Kratos, Sheena, Genis, and Lloyd backing up to a distance close to Raine.

Of course, Raine knew they did not have enough energy to fight another enemy.

"Kratos, are you all right?" The man asked.

Kratos nodded his head, placing a hand over a gash he had received from Lloyd, healing it.

"I am fine, my Lord. But we must take the Chosen now."

The blonde man's gaze floated up to Colette. "Yes." He said, apparently not noticing the other four in the room.

"No!" Came Lloyd's voice once more. Of course, he didn't have much power to back this outburst, but, it still caused the blonde man to pause for a moment.

His gaze then turned to the group in the room, finally landing on the brunette boy.

"You can't take her!" Lloyd continued. "She's our friend!"

The angel stood to his feet, and hovered over to Lloyd. "How dare you speak to me like that, human."

It was odd. He didn't sound angry when he spoke, almost amused.

He then gestured towards Colette. "Can you not see? Her soul is dead. Your friend no longer exists. However, the hope for your world does. As long as you let me take her."

Sure enough, as they all looked up, Colette's sparkling blue eyes had been replaced by those of pure, lustless red.

This appeared to be too much for Lloyd to handle, as he once again, picked up his sword, and swung at the angel.

Of course, this angered the blonde, and a blast of energy released from his hand, knocking Lloyd back into a pillar, and breaking it.

Raine could see a slight change in expression on Kratos's face as this happened. Almost that of concern.

Another ball of energy appeared in the angel's hand, at the ready to strike again, when a group of desians intervened. The last thing Raine saw before everything went black, was a brown-haired man grabbing her hand.

Raine woke in a room filled with books.

She slowly sat up, looking around in the room to get a better sense of her surroundings.

There were bookcases surrounding the room.

She also noticed Genis, Sheena and Lloyd were all asleep on mattresses lying on the floor, as well as she.

To her left, she noticed Colette standing by the door to the room, staring at another wall.

It hurt to see her like that. Raine had desperately wished that she had dreamt everything last night.

Which meant, she didn't dream Kratos's betrayel, of course.

She heard the shift of a mattress to the right of her, and noticed Sheena was beginning to stir. When the lavendar-haired girl was up, she looked in Raine's direction, noticing the half elf was awake as well.

"Where are we?" She asked groggily, beginning to stretch her arms out.

Raine shrugged her shoulders, still looking around the room. "I'm not sure...there aren't any windows, so I can't even tell what town we're in."

Sheena sighed. She then spotted Colette, ceasing her stretching. "Poor Colette...we have to get her back!"

Raine nodded in agreement. Soon, they heard Genis begin to shift, and he slowly rose as well.

The same went for him, asking where they were.

For a half hour, the three remained silent. Then, finally, Lloyd was awake.

As if knowing everyone was awake, the door opened, and it revealed the desian Raine had seen before she fainted. He was also the desian that was at the temple in Iselia, trying to prevent Colette from continuing her journey, at least, Raine figured from the boys' description of the man.

"FOllow me, everyone."

Raine had to admit, she was rather irritated that this man thought he could just barge in, and give them in order without explaining anything, but she was too tired to argue at this point.

It seemed the other three felt the same.

As they began to exit the room, Lloyd started to reach out to grab Colette, but the man stopped him.

"She will follow us."

Lloyd nodded, and left the room.

The man led them down a dimly lit corridor, and finally into a large room. Seated in a chair in the center of the room, was a blue-haired man. His hair was rather long, pulled back in a loose ponytail.

They watched as he stood. His appearance was rather elegant, as well as his movements.

"I suppose you all must be wondering what you are doing here?" He began.

"More like, where 'here' is, at the moment." Sheena stated.

The blue-haired man nodded. "You are in my base. Well, my base in Sylvarant at least." When he noted to puzzled looks on the trio's faces, he continued. "My name is Yuan, and this is Botta. We are the leaders of a group called the Renegades. Our goal is to keep Yggdrassil from obtaining a body for Martel."

"But wait, aren't you guys desians? You're dressed like them." Lloyd asked.

Yuan shook his head. "No, we only dress like this to be able to infiltrate their bases. We oppose what the desians do."

"So, what do the desians have to do with the renegades?" Genis asked.

Yuan opened his mouth to reply, but Raine was quicker. "The desians are part of Yggdrassil's group, aren't they?"

Yuan nodded his head, obviously impressed. "You are as brilliant as they say."

Lloyd furrowed a brow. "But, if the desians are doing the work of that angel guy, then why were they trying to kill Colette?"

"They don't try to kill the Chosen. They try and activate that cruxis crystal around her neck by chasing all of you, and making you fear them. If the cruxis crystal is activated by her fear, then, the process of ridding her of her soul becomes easier."

"So, how do we get her back to normal?" Lloyd asked.

Botta shrugged. "We don't know that. The only thing we could do was to prevent Yggdrassil from taking her. But, we do have a new plan to try and prevent them from taking her again."

Lloyd, obviously eager at a plan to keep Colette safe, asked, "What is that?"

Just then, a dozen or so renegades filled the room, as they surrounded the group.

"You, Lloyd Irving. We can use you. to keep them away." Yuan answered.

"M-me? How?"

"Lloyd, we don't have time for this!" Sheena shouted, throwing a charm to the floor. Pretty soon, one of her guardians emerged from the smoke cloud, causing the renegades to become distracted, and allowing the group to escape.

They ran through corridor, after corridor.

Finally, Lloyd shouted, "I've been here before! This where they took me after they captured me in Triet! I bet I can find the way out!"

After stumbling upon dead end after dead end, they discovered a room with a strange-looking machine in it.

"What are rheairds doing on this side?" Sheena asked.

By this time, it was not a mystery to hear Sheena call Sylvarant this side. Weeks ago, when she had joined the group, she explained to them all that there was a parallel world, one where she came from, called, Tethe'alla.

"What are these?" Genis asked.

Raine could feel the sense of impending doon creeping up on them, so, hurriedly, she jumped in one of the rheairds, and shouted, "No time for that! She can explain later, let's go!"

"Go where?" Lloyd asked.

Raine shook her head. "I don't know, but anywhere is better than here!" And with that, she was gone. Sheena then climbed in one, and was off, followed by Genis, then Colette, whom Lloyd placed in one, then last came Lloyd.

Streams of lights whizzed past Raine, and she felt the nausea returning. "Oh..." She groaned, forcing herself to grip harder onto the contraption. Then, all of a sudden, the lights began forming into shapes.

Soon, she could make out grass, and trees, and a mountain she was hurtling towards.

"Ahhhhh!" She screamed, watching as the ground neared her. She then heard the others shouting behind her as well.

And then, they hit land.

With everyone too disoriented to notice, Raine put a hand to her stomach, making sure there was no damage there. Of course, only time would tell if her baby was still alive, but it seemed a good chance. The rheaird, and her arms and legs suffered most of the blow.

"What happened?" Genis croaked.

Sheena sighed, looking around her. "I guess since you all released the seals in Sylvarant, Tethe'alla must have lost some mana."

Raine let out a huff, scrambling to her feet.

"Well, it looks like they're unusable now."

Lloyd shook his head, apparently trying to pop his neck. "Well, its doing us no good to just stand around here. Why don't we head somewhere else?"

With everyone in agreement, the group decided to head to a town called Meltokio. Sheena stated that if anyone would have the knowledge to return Colette to her normal self, it would be the king there.

Once they had made it to the gates, Sheena spoke up. "This is where I'm going to have to leave you."

"What?" Lloyd asked stupidly.

"I have to go tell my village chief about my failure to kill the Colette. But here, I wrote a letter to the king explaining your situation. Just request an audience with him, and hand him this letter."

She then handed the letter to Lloyd.

"Well, hopefully you all will see me again." She said, attempting to sound perky as usual.

When they had said their goodbyes, the three climbed the steps of the city, seeing the castle at the top of the steps.

Colette led the group, still unresponsive, and expressionless.

As they climbed the stairs to the second level of the city, they noticed a group of women hovering over a man with long red hair, held back by a headband. He had a regal appearance, as well as a cocky one.

When he ran into Colette, he immediately began trying to charm her. When Colette did not speak back, the man's group of followers began taunting Colette, and saying she was obviously not worthy of the man's time.

And, of course, Lloyd and Genis came to the rescue, shouting rude remarks back at the women.

Finally, the red haired man silenced the women, taking hold of Colette's hand. Which, Colette in turn, flung the man into the air. He quickly caught himself, landing on his feet once more.

"Wow, my little angel. You certainly are strong." He commenting, rubbing his hand.

Raine decided at this point, enough was enough. They had to get moving, and this man was not going to let them.

"Excuse me, sir. But we need to get to the king."

When his eyes landed on Raine, she could swear she saw a drop of drool leak out of his mouth. Typical. The man was a pig.

"And who are you, cool beauty? I am Zelos."

Raine forced a smile, nodding her head at him. "Please, we must be going." She repeated, as her and Colette made their way through the crowd, soon followed by Genis and Lloyd.

Finally, they made it to the castle. Unfortunately, the guards denied entry, on account, the king was sick.

Luckily, they noticed a small girl with bright pink pigtails carting a huge branch of wood towards the castle. Overhearing it was to be burnt for the king, the group hatched the plan that they would get the girl to give them her wood, thus allowing the guards to let them in.

Thanfully, the girl agreed to this. On the downside, the three of them could not pull the wood.

And, Presea, they learned was her name, grabbed the wood once more, allowing them to pull it with her.

The guards let them in, and soon they were hunting down the king, keeping Presea with them, so the guards would not wonder why she alone left the castle without the other three.

They quickly found the king's chambers, and to their surprise, Zelos was in the room as well.

Ignoring him for the moment, Lloyd handed the king a note. As the king read the letter, he ordered the four to be put in a chamber next to his room.

After a while, the pope entered, surrounded by papal knights.

"The king decided it would be best of ending the girl here, instead of saving her, so you can finish your journey. Now die!" He shouted.

As the knights filtered into the room, surrounding the group, Colette put herself in between them.

"We can't even scratch her!" One of them shouted.

This continued for a few more minutes, until the knights surrendered.

In a last chance effort, Lloyd spoke up. "Look, if you help us heal her, Colette will not be able to finish the regeneration journey! If she gets her soul back, she won't be able to become Martel's vessel!" He pleaded.

The pope seemed to consider this, and Zelos soon appeared in the room as well, apparently over hearing Lloyd's plea.

"This is true. And, I could even keep an eye on them. Make sure they don't take her back to Sylvarant." He added.

Finally, the pope agreed. After a few more threats, he and his knights left the room, and Zelos instructed that they meet him at the temple next door in an hour. And with that, he was gone.

Genis shook his head. "This just got really interesting..."


	16. Another Seal

All right. Back with another chappie!

Disclaimer: I do not own Tales of Symphonia. Nor will I ever!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Chapter 16~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A couple of months had passed since the group had arrived in Tethe'alla. Many things had changed.

For instance, Zelos and Presea had now become permanent attributes to the group, Sheena had returned, and they had also been joined by another member, Regal. And, Colette was back to normal.

As another change, Raine was now about four months pregnant, and beginning to show it. She had now begun relying on clothes too big for her to hide it.

At the moment, Raine was in yet another hotel room, getting ready for bed. As she changed, she removed her shirt, and began her daily routine of once again, noting how big she was getting.

It was a small bump, but definitely noticeable. She ran her hand over it, stroking her abdomen as she did so.

Of course it was a scary thing, this child growing inside her, but she was also excited to become a mother.

She had even considered leaving the group until she had the baby. But, she knew everyone needed her healing abilities, and so she stayed.

Finally, she pulled her nightshirt on, this one a little more fitted then her regular shirt, so the bump was more evident.

Raine then climbed in bed, ready for a peaceful night's sleep.

Her morning sickness had finally disappeared, and Raine was more than thankful for it to have gone.

However, though Regal was knew to the group, she was sure she had seen him a few times studying her closely. At first she had disregarded it, and decided he did that with everyone. But, then she began to notice he would only watch her intently. So, she decided to be more cautious around him.

Though she liked Regal, and had become very close to the man in the short amount of time of knowing him, she knew it would be best if he, like everyone else, did not know about her pregnancy.

Deciding it was best to try and get some rest, Raine shut her eyes, slowly falling into a peaceful sleep.

Raine awoke peacefully to the sounds of rain drops on her room window.

As her eyes opened, a smile spread itself across her face. She always loved the sound of the rain. It always relaxed her. Though, today it would mean they would have to travel in it, which was not ideal.

She let out a yawn as she pulled the blankets off of her, and scooted out of bed.

Once she was dressed and packed, the half elf met her group in the lobby of the inn.

"All right. So, we should probably head in the direction of the earth seal." Lloyd stated, clearly not recalling the name of the spirit housed there.

No one objected. After they had fought Volt, and gotten their rheairds back, the group hadn't really accomplished much since they had been in Tethe-alla.

So, they quickly left the inn, and headed outside of Meltokio. Of course they had been banned from entering the city, since they had all pleaded with Zelos to head back to Sylvarant to find a cure for Colette and the Papal knights had overheard the man agree to it. But, fortunately, most of the population did not seem to notice their presence when they snuck in.

Hopping on their designated rheairds, the group was off.

"I've heard Gnome isn't too far from here!" Shouted Sheena after they had turned west.

After a short twenty minutes of flying, Colette's voice rang out. "Hey! I see something down there!"

Sure enough, following her out-stretched arm, they noticed the top of a building sticking out of a deep depression in the ground.

They quickly lowered their rheairds, and finally landed right outside of the temple.

"Well, shall we go in?" Regal asked as everyone stood staring.

Raine held back as everyone else ventured in. She couldn't help but admire the structure of the temple, even if it was half hidden.

"You coming, ultra cool beauty?" Zelos asked, snapping Raine out of her trance.

The half elf narrowed her eyes at the man. "Zelos, what did I tell you to call me?"

"...Professor..."

"Good. Now, stick to that." And with that, the woman made her way inside.

It took a while for the group to find the main level where Gnome lay, but, once they reached the bottom floor, they found the large altar they had been searching for.

Sheena took her place at the steps, awaiting Gnome to reveal himself.

As if on cue, amber, and topaz colored orbs appeared, and began forming into a shape. Once they had formed into a circular structure, a bright light appeared, forcing everyone to shield their eyes.

Then, Gnome was before them.

The fight was extensive. It took almost all of Raine's energy to keep up with healing her fallen comrades. One after another would fall, too injured to continue fighting. And Raine, of course, would have to shoot a quick healing spell in their direction.

Gnome was a jokester, but he certainly was an enthralling opponent. His moves were extremely quick, especially for a Summon Spirit of his size.

"Hey! You guys fight dirty! When Mithos fought me, he fought on his own! Not with seven other fighters. Anyway, tell me what you want."

Sheena then took her place by the altar once more. "Gnome, I ask that thou annulst thy pact with Mithos, and establish a new pact with me."

Gnome let out a chuckle, his furry cheeks growing rather rosy. "Wow, Lady, you talk funny! But, okay! I'll make a new pact."

And with that, Sheena was granted the ability to summon the Spirit of Earth.

It was decided that when they left the temple, they would head to Sybak.

They soon arrived, just as the sky was painted with the many colors of dusk.

Raine was glad to reach her room. She was exhausted. After she changed into her pajamas, she noticed her pants were definitely fitting tighter. She would need to invest in new ones soon.

There was a knock on her door, and Raine hurried to answer it.

"Oh, hello, Regal. What brings you here at this hour?"

Regal sighed, taking a step further into her room. Raine followed the man's lead, and quickly shut the door.

"Raine, you have been exhibiting strange behavior lately. I'm worried about you. You seem to be distracted by something lately."

Raine shook her head. "No. Nothing. I-I've just been observing how different this world is from mine."

Regal did not look convinced. "Raine, you have been in Tethe'alla for over two months time. I know with your intellect, by now you would be over such observations."

"Regal, there is nothing of importance that you need to know as of now. I am fine. If it would please you, I will be more alert from now on." The half elf stated, growing tired of Regal's accusations.

Yes. Of course she had something to hide, and he was correct in his suspicions. But, neither Raine, nor the rest of the group had the time to deal with her drama right now. She was doing a pretty good job of protecting her child, by fighting far back from her opponents, and always guarded by a group member.

Regal seemed to be pondering what she had said for a few moments. "All right, Raine. I will leave you to get your rest for tonight, but you are going to have to tell me what is going on with you sometime." And with that, the blue-haired man turned, and walked out of the room.

Raine could tell he was frustrated. She was frustrated, too. She wanted to tell Regal. To tell everyone. But she couldn't. If she wanted her child to live in a peaceful world, she would have to continue fighting with the group.

The half elf then laid down, deciding it would be a good time to get some rest.

Tomorrow was going to be a big day...


	17. Unexpected Encounter

All right, on with a new chapter!

Disclaimer:I do not own, nor will I ever own Tales.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Chapter 17~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Raine awoke early the next morning feeling particularly paranoid about her secret.

Regal was so close to finding out. She could feel it. That is, assuming he didn't already have a good hunch about her being with child.

Raine placed a hand on her stomach. She knew soon there would be a more definite roundness to her, which meant everyone would notice.

Like it or not, the half elf needed help, and if one person out of the group knew, who cared? As long as they would assist in protecting her secret.

On the other hand, who was to assume Regal would do so? What if he would betray her, and tattle to the rest of the group?

No. Regal wouldn't do that. He knew just as well as she did that she was too much of an asset to the group to lose.

_Wait, am I really, and truly considering telling Regal? Isn't that something I forbade myself from doing from the beginning? Though, what choice do I have? Regal is bound to find out soon, and if I can tell him my reasons for staying in the group before he accuses me of in fact being pregnant, maybe, just maybe, he'll help me._

Mind made up, Raine exited her room, knowing full well that the only other person that would be up at this hour would be Regal. The younger portion of the group would no doubt be resting from yesterday's long fight.

Once Raine was faced with Regal's room door, she hesitated to knock.

_Come on, Raine. Its like pulling off a bandaid. You just have to do it without thinking. _

Her knock was slow, and quiet. She almost thought for a moment that surely Regal couldn't possibly have heard it. But then, the doorknob began to turn. Then, there stood the blue-haired man before her.

"Raine? What are you doing up at this hour?" He asked.

Raine just waved the man off. "Nevermind that now. Aren't you going to invite me in?"

"Well, of course." Regal stated, a startled expression clouding his face. He took a step back, allowing her to stroll in, then shut the door.

Raine let out a small sigh, mentally preparing herself for the conversation that lay ahead.

"Regal, I have not been fully honest with you." She began. Regal just watched her, unphased as he took a seat in one of the chairs in the room.

Raine followed suit, matching his gaze.

"Regal, you were correct in your assumptions. I have been preoccupied."

Regal waited. He knew she was stalling. Beads of sweat were forming on her brow. He knew the news she was to deliver must be big. It made him tense.

"Raine, please get on with it. You are making me nervous."

The half elf nodded, her gaze now dropping to the floor. "Yes. Of course. Regal, before I tell you, you must promise me that you will not think different of me."

Regal furrowed a brow, obviously confused. "Of course, Raine. I know you as you are."

"All right..." The young woman began. A few moments of silence went by, as Raine struggled with forming the words in her head. "I'm...pregnant..." She said, shrinking her form, obviously fearful of her companion's reaction.

Regal paused for a moment, stunned. Then, he recalled her odd behavior lately. When that thought crossed his mind, this news did not seem to be much of a shock.

"How long?" He asked simply, keeping his voice warm, and relaxed, attempting to keep the woman calm as well.

Raine struggled to meet his eyes. "Over four months."

Regal nodded his head, trying to bring some space in between his questions.

Then, finally, he asked, "Who is the father?"

The young woman frowned, and Regal could see tears forming in her eyes. This didn't seem promising to end in a happy story.

"I don't know." She answered simply.

"You were raped?" Regal questioned, reading between the lines in her answers.

Raine could only nod. Regal knew he needed to change the subject from the father, and quick. He clasped his hands together, the cuffs binding them together clinking.

"But why do you fight in your condition?"

Raine knew this question was coming. She just didn't know if her answer would satisfy the man enough to help her. "You as well as I know this group needs my healing abilities."

"And you want to be near Genis, correct?"

Raine nodded her head. She loved her younger brother. She had practically raised him herself, and she knew if she left the group, she would only wonder every day whether or not the boy was all right.

"You need to think of yourself, and of your child." Regal began. "Neither of you are safe as you travel with us. Not with Yggdrassil after Colette, and Tethe'alla after the rest of us."

"And you think I would be safe staying in some town with people that hate half elves? Especially one who's bringing a child into the world with elven blood?" Came Raine's retort.

This seemed to silence Regal for a moment.

"Besides, I would rather fight along all of you for a peaceful world for my child to be brought into."

Regal still did not speak. He seemed to be pondering her words.

Finally, after a few minutes, he spoke. "I suppose I see your point. All right. I won't tell anyone else in the group about this, but you must stay away from the action in the fights. Stay back, and only heal when you need to. On top of this, you must eat enough to feed both of you. You've been barely eating enough for you alone to survive. As long as you keep up with my terms, I will protect your secret."

Raine saw this as being fair enough. But she knew this agreement would only last so long. Soon, she would be too big to have the rest of the group ignore her growing stomach.

Regal seemed to read her mind as he spoke. "You will have to tell the others at some point."

"Yes. I know." Was all she said. She ran a hand over her stomach subconsciously. Even though the entire reason she was so unsettled was talking about this baby, this habit comforted her.

"All right." She said, standing to her feet. "I had better return to my room, and prepare for today."

Regal nodded, standing as well, and following her to the door. "Yes. It is best if you rest for a while." He then opened the door.

As Raine began to walk out of the room, Regal caught her arm. "Raine, I will of course keep your secret for as long as you need. But also know I am here for you if you need any assistance."

Raine smiled, nodding her head. "Thank you, Regal. That means a lot to me."

And with that, the young woman exited the room, and Regal shut the door behind her.

That had definitely been news to him. This just made the journey a lot more interesting, and full of danger. He knew his job now was not only to protect Raine's secret, but to protect her as well.

Raine wandered back to her room, her head buzzing with many thoughts. She was glad Regal had taken it much better than expected. However, it also alarmed her. Soon, she would have to do what she just did, with the rest of the group. She would have to sit them down, and tell them about her condition.

That is, if they didn't find out beforehand, and drop her from the group.

Not to mention what this world would do to her. It was already a large offense that she was a half elf. But, to add an unwed mother into the equation, well that just made it worse.

Of course Sylvarant would not be so welcoming to her, she knew that world would not threaten her life over such an issue. Tethe'alla was a different story. They were much less tolerant.

The young woman seated herself on her bed.

She knew thinking all this would not help her. It would only cause her to stress, and she did not need that right now. What she needed was to relax.

And so she did.

A couple of hours later, she was sure the rest of the group was up. So, the young woman decided to get her things ready, and to change. Today was to be a new day.

A couple of weeks had passed, and Raine had entered her fifth month of pregnancy. Of course her belly had grown, and she had a more distinct roundness to her, on account of Regal mentoring her eating.

Thankfully, Raine had found a flowy robe to wear, disguising her growing gut.

However, a new obsession had overtaken the woman. She had heard rumors of a gate that would transport someone into Sylvarant. The details were fuzzy on the how, but she was sure the place sounded familiar.

It was called the Otherwordly Gate. She had to visit it.

Soon, she received her chance.

The group was visiting a dwarf in Tethe'alla. He was speaking of ways to help Presea's key crest work more effectively.

Tabitha, a doll of Altessa's creation had already offered for them to spend the night, and Raine knew it wouldn't be long before Lloyd would tire, and he would head for bed. After that, everyone else would follow. Then, Raine would take her rheaird to the Otherwordly Gate, and see if it was in fact the place she had been before.

As she predicted, soon after, Lloyd let out a huge yawn. His questions having been answered for the day. "All right, Altessa. I guess I'll have to wait until tomorrow to find out the rest. I'm beat!"

Genis nodded his agreement. "Me, too." And with that, everyone was headed to bed.

Tabitha showed them to their rooms, and where extra blankets were held. Then, with a departing good night, the girl was gone.

It wasn't long before everyone was fast asleep, and Raine was off for the Gate.

Over an hour passed, and finally she spotted large stones formed in some sort of shape. Yes. That did seem familiar to her.

She slowly descended, lightly landing on the ground.

"This is...it..." She said to herself.

"This is what?" Came a voice behind her.

Raine quickly turned, startled.

There, standing about ten feet away stood a certain crimson-haired man she hadn't seen for a long time.

"Kr-Kratos? What are you doing here?"

"I am on here on business for Lord Yggdrassil." He answered, stepping towards the woman. He then paused.

His crimson eyes searched her over. Something seemed off about the woman. There was something different about her. But what could it be.

He noticed despite her attempts to hide it under a gown, Raine had gained weight. It was curious. She had only gained it in her midsection.

Kratos had seen this before with Anna. Raine was pregnant. No doubt about it.

He then wondered. Could he possibly be the father? They had been intimate before his betrayal.

A thought crossed his mind, causing the man's cheeks to flush in anger. Why had she not told him then? Why had she kept this a secret from him? He had a right to know about his child.

But then, he caught himself. How could she have? He had been in Derris Kharlan for most of the time he had separated from the group. And, even assuming he had been around for her to tell him, why would she? He had betrayed them. Betrayed her. Surely it had to be difficult to for her to even see him now.

"Kratos, what is it you are doing?" Raine asked, snapping the angel from his thoughts.

"You're with child." He said simply.

Raine felt her cheeks burn. Yes. She should have expected for him to be able to tell. After all, his sharpened angel senses must have been able to detect the child's existence.

"Yes I am."

She knew there was no point in arguing with him. Though, she had to admit, it was dangerous him having knowledge of this. He could report back to his leader, and they could strike, using this as a weak spot to attack the group with.

But, there was nothing she could do right now. Except stand her ground, and pray he had the impression everyone else knew.

"So, who is the lucky father?" Kratos asked, his voice almost devoid of emotion. It sickened Raine.

"Its not yours if that's what you're thinking." The half elf spat out.

Kratos could feel his body relax at this. But then, that meant it was someone else's. This thought sickened Kratos. He had to admit. He still had feelings for this woman.

But before he could ask her another question, Raine was hopping back on her rheaird.

"I had better go. Everyone will notice I have been gone." And with that, she rose into the sky.

Kratos watched her slowly disappear into the distance.

If that meant he wasn't the father, the only other reasonable possibility would be the child was a product of Raine's rape.

Now, Kratos definitely did feel sick.

_Raine. You must have suffered when you found out that horrid time you spent in captivity would haunt you further..._


	18. Reunion

Hey guys! Back with another chapter.

I don't own anything.

~Chapter 18~

Kratos then snapped out of his thoughts. He had to follow her. He had to be near her no matter what. The separation from her for months had almost made him forget the magnetic pull he had to her.

But now, having seen her again, reminding him of how much he loved her...But wait, he was on a mission...

_Mithos will have to wait..._ Kratos thought to himself, as his glossy wings spread out from his back, carrying him in the direction Raine had flown off in.

She had only been gone for a couple of minutes, and Kratos was sure he would catch up with her any minute.

Sure enough, he soon caught sight of the silver-haired woman, her white robe flowing behind her. He hadn't noticed before, but the young woman's hair had grown. It flowed in the wind, resting at times past her shoulders.

Finally, Kratos caught up with the woman. Raine, obviously startled, shifted, almost falling from her rheaird, but quickly readjusted herself.

"Kratos? What are you doing? Leave me be!"

"No, Raine. We have much to talk about. Land now."

Kratos mentally kicked himself for saying such a thing to Raine. The half elf was definitely stubborn, and of course did not enjoy taking orders. Making this evident, she turned her head facing forward once more.

"Raine, I apologize. I am begging you. It will only take a few minutes of your time."

"Kratos, enough was said back at the tower of Salvation when you betrayed us."

"Raine. Please."

Raine turned her liquid blue eyes on the angel once more. Seeing the sincere expression overtaking his face, Raine sighed. She then turned the rheaird to land on a remote island.

Kratos followed suit. Soon, both had landed.

Kratos could tell Raine's patience was wearing thin, so he knew he had to make his explanation fast. Maybe even tell her everything. His entire plan.

"Raine, I realize I hurt you when I left the group." He began.

Raine rolled her eyes, folding her arms across her chest. "You would have had to mean something to me in order to hurt me." She snapped, turning her eyes away from the man.

"If you are trying to hurt me, you will have to look into my eyes and say you never loved me." Came Kratos's sharp retort.

As expected, Raine was silent for a few moments. Finally, she met his gaze once more. "Just get on with it, Kratos. I need to be getting back to the group soon. As you very well know, I could use all the rest I can get."

"Yes. I realize this. My intention was not to hurt anyone, Raine. You must know this." Kratos began, attempting to form the best way to explain to her his reasons for betraying her. "I had to leave to protect everyone."

"Explain." Raine said, growing impatient, and seating herself on a nearby rock.

"Lord Yggdrassil sent me on the mission to make sure the Chosen stayed on track on her journey of regeneration. To do so, I had to act as her guard. Of course, when I found out Lloyd was my son, which you were correct in your guessing, and our relationship developed, it became more difficult." Kratos began.

Still not convinced, Raine shook her head. "But, not enough to abandon your mission, correct?"

"Raine. There is more I must tell you, though, I am not sure if it would be wise to. It could put your life in danger."

"Tell me."

"Raine..."

"Kratos, tell me, or I walk away."

Kratos sighed, knowing he could stall no more. "I have come up with a new plan. A plan to stop Mithos. I will need Lloyd's help later, but for now, I have been gathering supplies for a weapon to cease this crazy cycle that his been created." The man paused for a moment, reading the expression on Raine's face. She appeared to be rather skeptical. He couldn't blame her. He had charmed her before, and then left her with no explanation.

"I understand you are not completely trusting of me, and I would not expect as much. But, Raine, I am going to atone for all the pain I have caused everyone. It can go on no longer." He continued, seating himself on a rock close to Raine's.

Silence drifted over the two for a time.

"Kratos, I swear if I find out this is not the truth, we'll take you down with Yggdrassil. But I can only hope for your son's sake, you will not disappoint us."

Kratos knew this was Raine's version of probation for his behavior. However, it was a start, which was more than he could ask for.

"I will not disappoint you." He told her. He could see the ghost of a smile grace her pale features.

Kratos decided now would be a good time to change the topic of their conversation.

"How have you been lately?" The angel asked, wanting to get a sense of the woman's well-being while he was away.

"Fine." Came Raine's simple answer.

"Have you been feeling all right?"

"Yes. I have been feeling fine."

Kratos could tell Raine was becoming uncomfortable with his questioning. She had begun to fidget nervously, playing with loose ends on her robe.

"If you do not mind my asking, how far along are you?"

If Raine had been uneasy before, now she seemed irritable.

"Kratos, do you honestly care? Why are you asking me these things? I have already told you-it is not your child." She answered, her icy blue eyes burning with ferocity.

Kratos paused for a moment, thinking of the best way to respond without angering her further. This was the first time in months he had seen the young woman, and he could not risk her leaving now.

"I know it appears hard for you to believe that I would care about your situation as it stands. I realize that it is not my child, but you must know I still care deeply for you. Can you honestly tell me you don't feel the same after all this time?"

Of course, Raine's gaze dropped to the ground. That meant she did still feel something for him.

"I believe I do care for you as well, Kratos, but you have to understand. I have to be as cautious as possible after what you pulled before. I felt so broken when I saw you that day, standing next to Yggdrassil. To think that every minute I had spent with you had been a joke..."

Kratos shook his head, raising his voice slightly as he spoke. "Those moments I spent with you were real. I loved you. And I still do. There has not been a day since I parted ways with you, that I have not been plagued with the desire to be near you. I...missed you, Raine."

Kratos watched as Raine placed a hand on her abdomen, running her fingers up and down the bump, no doubt a subconscious gesture.

"Five months." She said simply.

"Pardon me?"

Her gaze matched his once more. "You asked how far along I was. Five months."

Kratos nodded. This was her way of opening up to him once more, showing him he had earned that right.

This was definitely progress. He wondered if sometime soon, things would be as they were. That she would be trusting of him again.

"Does anyone else know about the child? It appears you are trying to hide it."

He could see Raine flinch slightly, and he prayed he had not taken the conversation too far.

"I was attempting to hide it from enemies. Of course that did not seem to work so well with you, so it appears my plan will not hold up against Yggdrassil." Kratos could hear the hint of a smile in her voice, trying to keep her statement lighthearted, and not to appear as though she still thought of the man as a threat.

Kratos had the sense the woman was hiding something from him. He knew if Lloyd was aware of Raine's pregnancy, or of any other weakened state, he would not agree to her traveling with them any longer. However, he could still be wrong. Perhaps they kept her well-guarded while on the road. Either way, Raine was an intelligent woman. She would find a way to protect herself, and her child.

He noticed the half elf attempt to stifle a yawn.

"You are tired." Kratos observed.

Raine shook her head. "I am fine."

Kratos could feel his lips curve into a triumphant grin.

"What?"

"Ten minutes ago you could not wait to be away from me. And now you are lying to stay here longer."

Raine rolled her eyes. "Don't flatter yourself. I am just too tired to want to get back on my rheaird, and fly home." Her words were harsh, but Kratos could see Raine was smiling as well.

"Would you like me to assist you back to where you are staying?"

Raine looked thoughtful for a moment.

"I'm not sure that would be a good idea, Kratos. The others might see you and try to attack."

"I shall be quiet. I can even get your rheaird back to you before anyone awakes."

Another pause.

"All right. I hope I am not too blinded by my exhaustion while agreeing to this. But, I am indeed too tired for my liking to fly myself back."

Kratos nodded, standing to his feet. "And where are you currently staying?"

"At Altessa's house. I assume you know of the dwarf, considering he worked for Yggdrassil years ago."

Kratos knew very well of Altessa. In fact, he was sure he would need assistance from the man earlier in his plan to take down Mithos.

"I know where it is." And with that, he had scooped Raine up in his arms, spreading his iridescent wings once more.

Minutes passed as they flew and Kratos could tell Raine was close to falling asleep. Her lids would close every now and then, only to flash open once more. He knew she was fighting her body from resting for now.

"Raine, if you are tired, you should rest. You will be safe with me."

Raine shook her head, her eye lids drooping once more. "No. I don't want to sleep yet." She said, almost in the fashion a little kid would while a parent was carting them off to bed.

"Why not?"

The half elf smiled, burying her face in his chest. "Because I missed you." Her voice was muffled, but Kratos could hear clearly enough what she had said.

This caused him to smile once more.

"Kratos?" Raine began.

"Yes?"

Raine turned her face upwards once more, her eyes now open.

"Do I still look beautiful to you?" She asked, her voice softened.

He could tell she was embarrassed to ask him. He was unsure why. Of course they had been apart for a few months, but he had told her many times while they were together how gorgeous she was to him.

"You are always beautiful." He told her, brushing a lock of hair behind her ear.

This earned him a smile from the half elf.

And then, she was asleep.

~End of Chapter 18~

Okay, I know it was slightly lame, but, I had to get them to start talking again. And this was pretty much just a filler chapter so that could happen. But there will be many more significant encounters with the two in later chapters.

Please review!


	19. Difficult Decisions

I own nothing!

Now on with it!

~Chapter 19~

Soon, Altessa's house was in sight. Kratos knew he would have to be as silent as possible. No one could see him there. It could put him, as well as Raine in jeopardy.

As he landed, he mentally prepared himself to enter the house. He just prayed Raine had a room of her own she was staying in.

Once inside, Kratos gently glided the floor, noting all the closed doors. He quickly spotted a room with the door still open, evidently awaiting the arrival of Raine.

As he stepped closer to the room, he could tell promisingly it was a bedroom.

Finally, he was close enough to tell no one else was inside, thankfully.

He then pulled back the covers, gently setting the young woman down on the cushiony surface, and beginning to cover her with the blankets.

But he quickly stopped himself, his crimson eyes settling on her stomach.

He could definitely see the slight bulge to her midsection while she was laying down.

Even seeing it, the pregnancy was still a shock to him. And even more of a shock that she was five months along.

Now, all those times he had witnessed her sick made sense. She had waved it off as a stomach bug. Now it seemed silly he had believed her.

He placed a hand on the bump, and was surprised Raine did not wake. He wondered why he was so fascinated with the child growing inside of her. He did indeed love Raine, there was no doubting that. But this child was someone else's. So why did he feel he had such a connection to it?

His thoughts were soon interrupted as he felt a small kick. It reminded him of before Lloyd was born, when Anna would have him feel how active their child was.

Kratos then removed his hand, knowing he would need to leave soon.

His eyes scanned Raine's face once more, trying to make sure that she would not wake soon.

He then pulled the blankets over her. Deciding she was sleeping soundly enough, Kratos turned, and left the room, off on his way to Derris Kharlan once more. He still had something he knew he must do there.

Raine awoke later that morning in her designated bed. Obviously startled, the half elf sat up, searching the room. She couldn't remember flying here on her rheaird. Then, she remembered. Kratos had flown her home. But had he brought her rheaird back as he promised?

She quickly got out of the bed, racing out of her room, and outside. Thankfully, she had woken pretty early, and no one else, aside from Tabitha was up yet, and Tabitha did not seem to notice her flee out the door.

Sure enough, there sat her rheaird next to everyone else's. Raine let out a sigh of relief.

"Professor?" Came a weary voice from behind her.

Raine turned to see Lloyd standing before her.

"Ah, Lloyd. I didn't think you would be up this early. What brings you out here?"

The brunette boy furrowed a brow. "Professor, I thought I heard you leave last night. Where did you go?"

Uh oh. Hopefully Regal wasn't aware of her late night run. With him more aware of her situation, he would undoubtedly scold her. The two parts of his agreement to keep her secret was to get enough nutrition for her and the child, and to get plenty of rest.

"Oh, Lloyd, I just had to head over to Sybak to retrieve a few supplies." Of course she felt awful for lying to the boy, but, she could not let him know she had traveled so far as the Otherwordly Gate, or more importantly, that she had run into Kratos there.

Luckily, this seemed to satisfy him enough. "Well, Professor, you could have done that today. Remember we have to head in that direction today anyway. You have to be more careful. Its not smart for us to separate."

Raine knew he had a point. With everyone after them for being fugitives of Meltokio, and what with her race, she definitely was not safe on her own.

"Yes, Lloyd. You are correct. I will not go off on my own again." Of course she was not sincere in her statement. She knew there would be more times her and Kratos would meet. She had to help in his plan to stop Yggdrassil. And, of course, as a plus side, she just wanted to see the angel again.

Last night had reminded her of how much she had missed him. Naturally, she was going to monitor him before she allowed the angel to be close to her once more.

However, she had to admit, Kratos did deserve a second chance, what with how sincere he looked last night when he was explaining his reasons to her. She knew she was acting foolish-he could be lying to her. He could use her emotions to get closer to Colette, and to take her away, back to Yggdrassil. But Raine was sure this was not the case. She wasn't sure why exactly she believed him. Maybe it was the hormones.

Raine frowned. That's right. Kratos knew about her child now. He couldn't be happy about that at all. She had seen the relief in his expression when she had told him it wasn't hers. Then, within seconds, that relief turned to a look of utter shock.

She hadn't told him who it was! What if he thought she had found someone new? But then, why would he work so hard to get her to speak with him? Whatever the case, she would see him again, and then she could explain.

"Professor, are you all right?" Lloyd's voice rang through, shattering the half elf from her thoughts.

"Oh yes! I am fine, Lloyd. We should be going back inside. Its rather cold out here." Raine said, forcing a smile to grace her features, while clutching her robe tighter around her.

Lloyd just nodded in agreement, leading the way back inside the house.

The rest were awaiting them, having breakfest in Altessa's make-shift kitchen.

Raine heard her stomach growl, and at the sight of food, she could feel the stabbing pains of hunger overtaking her.

She raced over to the table, spotting a large bowl of fresh fruit.

"Mmmm..." She mumbled, taking a bite of an apple. As she opened her eyes, she noticed everyone staring at her with rather puzzled expressions, aside from Regal who looked oddly amused.

"This apple is just so delicious." She stated, grabbing a plate, and loading it up with grapes and freshly baked bread.

She then searched for a seat. Spotting only one open seat, she noticed it was next to Regal. Of course. That was her luck. Her plan for the day was to avoid him as much as possible. She couldn't let him know she had snuck out the night before. What if she mentioned it, forgetting to keep silent?

_I'll just have to be very cautious with my words._ She thought to herself, taking her seat.

"How are you feeling today, Raine?" The blue-haired man asked in a small voice.

The rest of the group didn't seem to notice this, as they were too wrapped up in their own conversations.

"Rather well, thank you, Regal." She answered, taking a bite of bread.

"I have been thinking, Raine, and I believe you should most likely see a doctor at this point."

Raine froze, slowly turning her gaze to the man seated next to her.

"It would be good for you. There is a doctor in Flanior everyone speaks rather highly of. We have to visit that city today anyway. We could come up with a way to split you from the group so no one would suspect anything." He continued.

Raine could only shake her head for a few moments. Then, finally, she said, "Regal...I...can't."

"And why not?"

"Regal, do you realize how awful it would be for me to tell him I'm a single mother? I would be crucified there!" She told him, trying to keep her voice low. "The others would be sure to find out with all of the gossip that would float around."

Regal fell silent, pondering her answer. "This doctor is out to make money, Raine. He does not care of your personal situation. I highly doubt he would let anyone else know. You must go. What if something were wrong? Would you not wish to know?"

Raine sighed, growing tired of arguing with the man. "All right. But you need to make sure no one follows me." She spat out. And with that, she rose from the table, and talked away.

She found herself in the main room of the house, and to her luck, was alone. At this point, Raine needed time on her own to think things through.

This was all happening so fast. Regal knew, Kratos knew, and now some stranger would know of her shame.

Raine let a small sigh escape, resting her head on her hand. She had to admit. Regal did have a point. Lately she had been obsessing with the health of the child. Wondering whether everything was all right.

Mind made up, Raine decided she would go through with their plan.

Another hour passed before the eight were taking their leave, and hopping on their rheairds. The plan was to stop first at Sybak, and pick up some more supplies, then to fly onto Flanoir.

It seemed like an eternity before they reached the wintery city.

They were there to find the ice temple that was rumored to be rather close.

Thankfully, Lloyd had suggested once they arrived, they split off to speak with the locals to see if they knew the location of the temple.

The bad part, Raine was stuck with Zelos as her search partner. She had attempted to have Regal go with her instead, but Zelos had already pulled her off in another direction.

Now, the man was going on about how Sheena refused to be his girlfriend.

"I mean, I don't get it. I'm handsome and rich. Plus, I'm an awesome swordsman. But yet, she seems to like Lloyd. That runt is not as blessed in the facial region as I am."

Raine rolled her eyes, praying the red head what stop his ranting if she didn't respond.

"I mean, Lloyd isn't horrible looking, but he certainly isn't as attractive as I am. And he's not as good a swordsman. Don't chicks usually like when a guy knows how to use a sword?" Apparently the man wasn't getting the message.

Raine could feel her cheeks burning with irritation at Zelos. But she continued to remain silent.

"And Sheena's a good looking chick. I mean, to have a girl on my arm with that nice of a rack would be excellent."

Okay, now, Raine was struggling to keep her mouth shut. Before she knew it, the young woman had exploded.

"Maybe if you would quit referring to her as a chick, and wanting her for her 'rack', she would find you more attractive! Maybe that's the appeal with Lloyd! He doesn't degrade women!"

Luckily, this seemed to catch Zelos off guard enough to keep him quiet for a few minutes.

When he spoke once more, it was in a calmer, more humble tone of voice. "You think so? I thought chicks, I mean girls liked that about me. So many girls back in Meltokio seemed to find my behavior pretty irresistible."

Seeing she was breaking through to him, Raine softened her tone. "Zelos," She began, turning her gaze to face him. "That may have worked on those girls, but Sheena is different. She won't fall for antics like those. Those girls would have let you demean them in every which way, just because you're the Chosen. Sheena is not the kind of girl to have her judgement clouded just for one night out with a city celebrity."

"So, how do I get her to pay attention to me?"

"Just be yourself with her. Sincere. No antics, no self-worship. Women don't appreciate hearing how great you think you are."

Zelos let her statement sink in for a moment, then nodded his head. "All right. I'll give it a shot. Thanks, Professor. You are pretty smart." He told her, a smile widening his lips.

Raine returned the grin. "See, you could even charm me with that compliment."

Then, Raine saw a chance to separate from Zelos.

"All right, Zelos, since I did you a favor, and gave you some pretty good advice, could I get you to agree with my temporary leave?" She asked.

Zelos furrowed a brow at the woman. "What for?"

"I believe I should visit the doctor here. I've been feeling a little under the weather lately, and maybe he has some medicine I could take. I need to be in good shape for our travels."

This answer seemed to sell well with the Chosen, as he spoke. "Of course. I'll go ahead and ask if anyone around here knows anything about the temple. Just don't be gone too long."

Raine nodded, then sped off. She had seen the doctor's house a little further in from the city entrance. She soon found it, and only one person was ahead of her to see the doctor.

That person only took about ten minutes, apparently only diagnosed with a mild flu.

Now, it was Raine's turn.

"Follow me." The man told her, leading her into another room. The room she had been in previous was a makeshift waiting room. There were a few chairs set up against a wall, and a small table with a couple of books stacked on top of it. In once corner of the room had been a fireplace. In the room she was in currently, there was also a fireplace to one side, and about five beds.

Raine took a seat on one, as the doctor sat in a chair across from her. "All right, Ms. Sage, correct?

Raine nodded, watching as he wrote on a clipboard.

"What is it that you have come to me for? It doesn't appear that you are sick."

Raine felt her eyes fall to the floor, feeling the embarrassment overtaking her. "I'm here for a check up. I'm about five months pregnant, and I just want to know that my child is all right."

"Mhmm. And have you seen a doctor previous?" His tone had not seemed to change. No harsh words spat in her direction. Maybe Regal was right when he told her this man was only here to do his job. That he wouldn't care of her personal turmoils.

Gaining courage, Raine looked up at the man once more. "No." Came her simple reply. He only nodded, writing once more.

"All right." He began, standing to his feet. "I'm going to need for you to lie down."

Raine did as she was told, easing herself down on the soft bed.

She felt as he placed his hands on her stomach, pushing down with his fingers in certain places.

"Right now I am feeling what position the baby is in. I have to make sure there is no danger of you going into early labor." He told her.

Raine nodded, watching as he removed his hands, and scrawling on the clipboard once more.

"Everything seems fine there. Now I'm just going to do another test." He told her "All right, if you would, Ms. Sage, sit up."

Raine nodded, slowly rising to a seated position.

The doctor then took out a stethoscope.

"If you would just open your robe enough to expose your stomach, I'm going to listen to the baby's heartbeat."

Raine could feel her stomach tighten. No one but her had seen her bloated abdomen. Of course she knew he had seen other women before, but she couldn't shake the feeling of shame as she slowly undid her robe enough to reveal her stomach.

He then placed the cold metal on her belly, hesitating as he listened. He placed it on a few other spots, then seemed to find what he had been looking for, as he held the chestpiece there for about a minute.

"All right." He said, lifting the stethoscope from her midsection. "Everything sounds good."

Raine nodded, closing her robe once more.

A few more tests were performed on the young woman, then finally, he said, "Now I'm just going to take a sample of your blood." She watched as he retrieved a syringe from his large wooden desk a few feet away.

She watched as he inserted the needle into her arm, and saw blood slowly fill the syringe. The man then turned, and squeezed the blood into a small vial, then strode over to the half elf once more.

"Now, I will have to run some tests on your blood, and I should be able to get back with you in a couple of weeks on what I find. But I will say, I would appreciate it if you gain just a few more pounds. It appears you are about twenty two weeks along, and you are a little small for that. Other than that, Ms. Sage, you are finished." He told her, flashing her a smile.

After giving him her payment, Raine strode on out of the house, making her way back to Zelos. She had only been gone in total for a little over forty minutes, according to the giant clock in the center of the town.

Eventually, she spotted the red haired man speaking with some blonde woman.

As she drew closer, she could hear Zelos asking her to meet him later in the hotel.

Raine frowned, now annoyed. Why did she even think her talk with him before would change how he treated women? The man was a pig.

"Ahem." She interrupted.

At first, Zelos seemed rather irritated at her intervening. Then, a moment later, when he regained his senses, she could see the shame play on his face.

"Oh! Raine! I was just asking this lovely lady about the temple."

Apparently, this lie did not bode well with the blonde, as she stormed off.

"Hmm, she seems rather offended to have only been talking about a lousy temple." Raine observed, folding her arms across her chest.

Zelos shrugged. "I know. It was wrong. Anyway, what did the doc tell you?"

Raine sighed, deciding there was no point in arguing with the Chosen at this point.

"Just to get plenty of rest. I'm fine."

Before the two could continue their conversation, they saw Colette racing up to the two.

"Professor! Zelos!" The blonde shouted, drawing closer.

"Yes Colette?" Raine asked, once she had approached them.

Colette was no hunched over, trying to catch her breath.

"We know where the temple is!" She finally chirped.

And with that, the three were off to the hotel where Lloyd was waiting with the details.

Once arrived, Lloyd told them the temple was north of the city.

Though, since it was already growing dark outside, and this continent was much colder than others, the group decided it was best to rest that night, then continue on the next morning.

After receiving their keys to their rooms, it was decided Sheena, Colette, and Presea would share a room, Lloyd and Genis would share a room, and Regal and Zelos would share a room, leaving Raine with a room of her own.

She had told the rest of the group it would be best if she slept on her own, according to her not feeling well.

After their goodnights, the eight split off into their designated rooms.

Not surprisingly, a few minutes after shutting her door behind her, Raine heard a knock sound.

Opening the door, she found Regal in the hall. She had expected he would pay her a visit, no doubt to ask about her doctor visit.

Though it was great Regal cared about her well-being, she had to admit, it felt as though he was almost checking up on her too frequently.

But, she kept her tone polite as she invited the man in.

"So, to what do I owe the honor of you stopping by?" She asked.

"I came to see how your visit with the doctor went."

_Suprise, surprise. _

"It was fine. He took some blood to run some tests to make sure the baby and I are healthy, which I won't know anything about that for a few weeks. But he did say from the other tests, everything seems well." She decided not to tell him about the recommendation the doctor gave her of gaining more weight. No doubt he would take it upon himself to be sure she did so.

"Ah, that is good." Came his reply.

Raine nodded, seating herself on the bed in her room.

"So, have you thought any more of telling the others?" Regal asked, deciding to take the conversation in another turn.

"Yes. But I just can't do it yet. I have some things I must attend to before I do so. I just know they won't allow me to travel in my condition." She told him, rubbing her belly with her hand.

"Raine, you can't wait too much longer. Soon they will notice something's not right." Regal warned.

Raine had to admit, he had a point. But she just couldn't bring herself to taking his advice. Not yet. There was much more that had to be done.

Much more, Raine was not aware would endanger not only her life, but her child's as well...


	20. Secrets Discovered

Hey guys, back with a new chappie! ENJOY!

~Chapter 20~

Raine woke the next morning rather late. She wasn't sure, but the half elf contributed her late rising to the cold winter air. Staying under the thick blankets seemed a much more tempting alternative then getting up, and readying herself for the morning. She knew the others would feel the same way as she, so the young woman continued to lay in her bed for a while.

A little while passed, and Raine finally decided it would be beneficial if she were to get up.

As if her new found motivation wasn't enough, she heard a knock sound on her door.

_What now? _She asked herself, as she strode over to the door, combing through her thick silver hair with her fingers.

When she opened the door, she found Lloyd standing in the hall. His expression was not that of a happy one, as he stormed in.

"Professor, I need to talk to you." He told her. She could tell he was trying his best to keep his voice calm.

"Sure, Lloyd...have a seat." She paused as he did so. "Is everything all right?" She asked, taking a seat on her bed across from the chair he now occupied.

"Professor, please tell me its not true..."

"That what isn't true?"

"Just tell me its not true!" The boy exclaimed, his crimson eyes meeting her aqua ones.

"Lloyd, you're not making any sense. What is it you are talking about?"

He paused for a moment, seeming to gather his thoughts into a logical explanation.

Finally, he spoke. "The doctor here was looking for you. He said he forgot he had one test left to do. Something about making sure your baby is all right?" The brunette stated, narrowing his eyes at the young woman in an accusing manner.

Raine stiffened, shocked at his reply. She had not expected for him to find out. Not yet at least. But, she could fix this. She could always lie to the boy, throw him off her scent.

"Lloyd, I have no idea what that doctor is talking about. He must have been looking for some other woman, and got our names mixed up. I did go to visit him yesterday, but only because I have not been feeling well lately."

This reply apparently did not sell well to the boy as he quickly shot out from his chair.

"Then why have you been wearing that robe lately? Its clearly too big for you! And you've been acting weird for a while now!"

Raine shook her head. "This robe was cheap, and it allows me to move freely. That is why I like it."

"Quit lying to me, Professor! Just tell me the truth. I deserve to know that much. Just tell me why you would lie to us all this time!"

Raine could tell the boy was beginning to relax. He was still tense, no doubt about that, but he definitely was not as angry as before.

Raine could no longer hold it in. Before she knew it, tears were streaming down her cheeks, as she attempted to cover her face with her hands. She definitely did not want to see Lloyd's disapproving face as she came clean.

"I'm so sorry, Lloyd! I have failed you. I've failed all of you!" She cried.

"Professor...?" Now Lloyd no longer had anger in his voice. It was replaced by a mix of shock, pity, and confusion.

"I didn't want any of you to know. This wasn't even supposed to happen to me...I was supposed to be there to protect all of you...Colette, Genis, and of course you, Lloyd. But I couldn't even do that!"

Silence.

Raine removed her hands for a moment, just to see Lloyd staring back at her, pity evident in his eyes.

"What...happened?" He asked.

Raine shook her head. The boy was an adult now, but she just couldn't recount that awful tale to him. He was too young at heart to know the hideous natures of humanity, such as what had happened to her.

"Lloyd, you're better off now knowing...just know, that I did not wish for any of this to happen."

She could see Lloyd still seemed curious. But she could also tell he believed her, and his eyes shone with such compassion, it caused more tears to leak down her cheeks.

"P...Professor...I'm sorry...I didn't mean to upset you." The brunette told her, his gaze flowing to the floor.

"No, Lloyd...you weren't the one who took my life from me. I understand why you are upset. I didn't tell any of you about the baby, and that was wrong of me." Raine said, beginning to calm herself.

Lloyd nodded at this. "Professor, I hate to do this, but I don't think it would be a good idea if you continued traveling with us in your state. Your baby's life is in danger while you're with us, and not to mention your own life as well. We can hide you in Mizuho for now."

This only caused Raine to lose her composure once more. "I knew this would happen." She said. "I knew my selfish actions would land me kicked out of the group..."

"No. That's not why I'm telling you this, Professor." Lloyd paused, as he drew closer to his teacher. He knelt down, looking into her eyes once more, and grasping her hand. "I'm telling you this because, I don't know what any of us would do without you. I don't want to risk losing you because you're in a weaker state right now."

Raine sighed, letting a small smile take over. "That does mean a lot to me, Lloyd." She then paused for a moment. "I know Regal knows already because I told him of my situation. But, Lloyd, does anyone else know?" She asked.

"No. I just happened to go out early to get some rice, and I overheard the doctor say your name. Apparently he had been asking if anyone knew you, and that he had something he had to tell you. I guess he assumed I knew already."

Raine rolled her eyes, knowing her doctor visit would would come back to haunt her. "Well, I guess I had better tell them. No point in hiding it any longer. But, Lloyd, would you do me a favor?"

About twenty minutes had gone by until Lloyd returned, bearing a new robe for Raine. She had decided if she was going to tell everyone she was pregnant, she might as well obtain some clothes that fit.

Raine had been thrilled Lloyd had agreed to go bye a new robe for her. She knew she looked awful after her sobbing episode, and it was best if she stayed indoors until she had calmed herself.

After his return, Raine had decided to wait to change into the new robe until she had made her announcement.

Luckily, Lloyd obtained Regal's help in gathering the others together in Sheena's, Colette's, and Presea's hotel room since it was the biggest, and everyone would fit.

Of course none of them knew the reason for being gathered that morning.

"So, what's going on? Where's the Professor?" Presea asked, her blue eyes scanning the room for the half elf

"She's coming." Regal answered.

Raine, at this point was most likely on her way to the room. She had raced to the doctor's to have her last test performed.

Sure enough, Raine soon appeared, calming the group as they found seats all over the room.

"All right. I have some news for all of you that I have been keeping for a while. I feel terrible that I have lied to you all, and I'm going to fix that now." Raine paused, letting out a small sigh. She was becoming more and more nevous seeing everyone's faces staring back at her, awaiting to hear what she had to say.

"What is it, Raine?" Sheena asked, now growing concerned.

"I'm pregnant..." She blurted, looking away from the group, and to one of the paintings decorating the wall.

"You're what?" Genis asked, eyes widening. "What are you talking about?"

She could hear Lloyd step over to the boy, attempting to calm him.

Raine, once again, could feel tears stinging at the backs of her eyes.

_Not again. _She thought.

And before she knew it, she was crying once more.

"Professor? Are you all right?" She heard Colette ask.

Raine thought for a moment. That was a good question. Was she all right? All she seemed to wish to do now was cry. No doubt the hormones were partly to blame for that. However, she also knew she would no longer be traveling with everyone.

Raine just shook her head. She knew she had to get out of there. She needed quiet right now, and with everyone buzzing with her news, she felt as though her head would explode.

Without warning, the young woman turned, and raced out the door, and down the hall and into the room she was currently staying in.

A few minutes after she made it into the sanctuary of her room, she heard a light knock sound.

Now seated on the floor, and too weak to walk to the door, she called, "Come in."

In walked Regal, shutting the door behind him.

"Are you all right?" He asked her, his blue eyes overwhelmed with concern.

"Yes. I'm fine. It was just a little more difficult to disappoint everyone than I thought it would be." She forced a smile, trying to make the mood lighter.

Regal shook his head, seating himself next to her on the floor. "No. You did not disappoint anyone in there. They are just in shock right now."

"No, Regal. You don't understand. Since you were the first to know about this, and the last one to join our group, you wouldn't know how much those kids depend on me to be there for them. Especially Genis. And knowing that I let them down, that I'll have to leave soon...its just..."

She felt as Regal placed a hand on her shoulder. "This was not of your own doing. They will come to learn that soon." Raine turned her gaze to face him, as the man continued. "We can take you to Mizuho today, and let the vice chief know why you are there. They will keep you safe."

He seemed to be able to tell from Raine's expression that she was undoubtedly unhappy with this arrangement.

"We'll stop by every now and then to visit you. Until you've had the child. And then, hopefully, we will have restored this world back to its peaceful origin."

The half elf had to admit, this thought was nice. It would be great to see the group once in a while, when they could stop by.

After everyone had relaxed a little, they decided it would be best to escort Raine to Sheena's home village.

Raine had changed into her new robe, exposing how large her stomach had become. She had to admit. It was a nice alternative to the other that did not hug her figure at all. And, this new one was an icy blue to match her eyes.

It wasn't long before they had reached the small town and now, Lloyd, Sheena, and Raine were meeting with the vice chief.

They explained Raine's situation, and told the man that it would be perilous to have her travel in her condition.

It did not take long to convince the vice chief, and he welcomed Raine into staying.

Then, it was time for their goodbyes. It was an emotional time, especially when it came to Genis.

"I'll miss you, kiddo." She told him, a tear rolling down her cheek.

Genis nodded, obviously struggling not to cry himself.

"Be safe, all right? And write to me. I want to hear from you to know you're okay."

Genis nodded once more.

"And be sure to keep yourself clean as well. I know baths aren't your favorite things, but it'll keep you healthy."

Now her younger brother furrowed a brow at her. "Raine! You're embarrassing me!" He shouted, shifting his eyes in the direction of Presea, in an attempt to keep the woman from saying anything else shameful in front of the girl.

Raine let out a small laugh, wrapping her arms around her brother. "I love you, Genis."

"Love ya, too, sis." He told her, returning the hug.

Finally, after all were finished seeing Raine off, the seven were on their way back to the ice temple.

"I guess its just me and you now." She said, looking down at her stomach, and gently rubbing her hand across it in a circular motion.

Kratos was unsure of how long he had been standing outside the city of Flanoir. He had come to the town on rumor that the group was now staying there.

It seemed it had been false, as he had searched all over the city. He had tried to spot any one of them. But, none had turned up.

Kratos sighed, staring up at the stars that had now begun to reveal themselves within the darkening sky.

The angel had been wishing to see Raine once more. Now that he had seen her recently, his thoughts were now consumed of how he missed her. He needed to see her. To know she was all right.

Kratos exhaled, seeing his breath fog the air. It was indeed rather cold outside, and he knew the intelligent thing to do, would be to seek shelter. However, he could not bring himself to leave. What if he would see them come back to the city? What if they had just been out for a while, and decided to rest in Flanoir once more? Then he would know of their whereabouts.

"Kratos!"

Startled out of his thoughts, Kratos turned to see who had called his name. There, stood Lloyd, trailed by the group. But wait, someone was missing. There were no longer eight of them. Only seven. But...who?

Raine. Raine was gone. Before he could catch himself, Kratos commented on her absence. "You're missing one." He stated, struggling to keep his voice casual.

This seemed to take the boy aback, as he paused. "Um. Yeah."

"Where is Raine?" He asked.

Lloyd narrowed his eyes at the man. "None of your business!"

Kratos should have expected this answer. Of course the brunette wouldn't tell him. He was now the enemy, most likely part of the reason they had put Raine into hiding.

"What are you doing here anyway? Waiting to ambush us?" The boy continued.

Kratos let out a small chuckle. He couldn't help himself. This accusation was so far from the truth, it amused him.

"What's so funny?" Now it was Zelos's turn to speak.

Kratos could tell they were all losing their patience with the man. He knew it would be wise to leave soon. "Just looking up at the stars." Came his reply, and with that, he flew off, deciding to search for Raine.

Raine sat in the garden outside her new home, staring up at the brilliantly lit stars. It was becoming rather cold outside, and she knew it would be wise to head inside.

However, she knew it would take more effort than she had strength at the moment to rise from the bench she was seated on, and waddle herself into her house.

She felt as occasionally the baby would give a small kick. Obviously, tonight would not be a good night for rest.

Raine smiled, placing a hand on her stomach.

She wondered how the group had faired as they began their entry into the ice temple.

"Raine?" A gentle voice broke through, snapping her from her thoughts. Who was still up at this hour in the small village? Everyone had retreated into their homes, surely heading for bed. The half elf jumped slightly, turning her gaze to the direction the voice had come from.

There, standing close to her house was none other than Kratos.

Raine couldn't help it. Her grin grew larger, watching as the crimson haired man strode over to her.

Once he approached her, the man took a seat next to the half elf.

A thought then occured to Raine, causing her to furrow a brow at the man. "How did you find me?"

Kratos let out a small chuckle. "It was not easy. When I saw you were not with the others, I grew concerned. The thought occured to me that maybe you were not well, or something had happened with the child." He began.

Raine nodded, motioning for him to continue.

"Then, I believed since you were fugitives of every major city, they would not have hidden you there. I also knew you had not returned to Sylvarant. The Otherwordly Gate has not opened yet. Mizuho was the only place safe for you."

His crimson eyes then shifted towards Raine's bump.

"I see you changed robes." He observed, taking in the way the blue fabric hugged her body. "This robe is no doubt an improvement from the other." He told her, flashing Raine a small smile.

Raine returned it, nodding her head. "Yes. I must say I do prefer this one."

"How is it?" He asked her, gesturing towards her stomach.

Raine smiled, running her hand on the bump. "The child is very active. He gives me no rest." Her voice then took that of a more serious tone. "Kratos, I'm sorry. I've failed you." She said, shifting her gaze from the crimson-haired man.

She could tell that he was puzzled by her outburst. He had paused before speaking once more.

"Why would you think you have failed me?"

"Because I was supposed to help you. To help everyone stop Yggdrassil. But now, I'm stuck in this village!" She exclaimed.

She felt as Kratos's hand found her chin, lifting her face so her eyes met his. "Raine, you have not failed anyone. I must agree, it is safer for you if you stay here. I would regret if anything were to happen to you."

A tear rolled down Raine's cheek, and Kratos brushed it away with his thumb. "I just wish for you to be safe."

Raine nodded her head, understanding where the man was coming from, but still disappointed she could not help him in his quest.

_Kratos, I would feel better if I were to know you were safe as well. _

Meanwhile, a certain blonde man stood not too far from where the couple sat, watching as Raine leaned her head on Kratos's shoulder.

"Well well, Kratos. It appears you are planning to betray me once more. And for the love of a woman no less." He paused as he watched Raine place a hand on her stomach. "A woman that just so happens to be carrying my child."

~End of Chapter 20~

Oh yeah. Big surprises, right? Well, review!


	21. Losing Hope

All right. Back with another chapter.

Shoot! I'm super flattered by all the reviews I have gotten so far! I just wanted to say thank you all so much!

Anyway, let's get on with it, shall we?

~Chapter 21~

Raine had long since gone to bed, and Kratos was now seated in her bedroom.

She had been so upset earlier, it was hard for the angel to even think of leaving her for the night. So, instead, he had promised her he could spend one night with her.

And he would spend it protecting her. Even though Mizuho was a village shrouded in secrecy, Kratos had the perplexing feeling that someone had been watching them while they sat in Raine's new garden. And Kratos was never one to question his instincts.

So, here he sat, watching the young woman sleep. Yet, her sleep indeed seemed rather restless tonight. He watched as she tossed and turned, occasionally muttering things of which he could not understand.

Though, he was concerned of her rather violent sleep, Kratos wished for Raine to get as much rest as possible. There was much more they had needed to discuss, however, the half elf had begun to struggle with remaining conscious earlier. So, Kratos had insisted he take her to bed.

_Oh, Raine, _He thought to himself. _I indeed have a tremendous feeling that you are in more danger than ever. That is why while Lloyd and the others are away, I shall see to it that you are protected at all times._

It appeared the man was so lost in his own thoughts, he had failed to notice when Raine had awoke, sitting up in her bed. "Kratos?"

Kratos jumped slightly at the sound of his name. His crimson eyes then darted to the young woman. "Oh, Raine. I did not realize you were awake. Are you all right?"

Raine simply nodded, furrowing a brow at him. "Yes. But, my concern is if you are. Kratos, I must say, I do not like that look on your face. Is something troubling you?" She asked, now turning her body to face the angel.

Kratos sighed, cursing his expression for betraying the usual poker face he wore. "I am just worried." Came his short reply.

He watched as Raine rolled her eyes. "Yes, I figured as much from your demeanor. Now, what is it you are worried about?"

"About you."

"Me?" Raine asked. "Why me? Lloyd put me in this village because he knew it would be the safest for me. No one ever knows the whereabouts of it. Well, those who wish to kill me at least."

Kratos just shook his head, waving her off. "Of course. I am being rather paranoid." He then paused, his eyes settling on her. "It would be wise if you continued resting, Raine, would it not?"

This apparently did not convince the half elf as she shifted to be seated on the edge of her bed, her aqua eyes piercing into Kratos's. "Kratos, who do you think is a threat to me as of now? Just tell me, or I will not go back to sleep."

Seeing as his lies would not convince the woman, Kratos decided to oblige her. "I am just concerned with Yggdrassil. He seems most determined to find you."

"Me? Why in the world would he be interested in finding me? I would think out of anyone he would want to keep tabs on Lloyd."

The angel merely shrugged, unsure of the reason himself. "I do not know. However, I wish to prevent this from occuring. That is what I was thinking of earlier."

Raine narrowed her eyes, obviously still puzzled as to why the leader of Cruxis would bother to have knowledge of her location. "Why would Yggdrassil think of me as a threat? I"m only a healer. I have few attacks I can use, and none are powerful enough to take him on. Not to mention I'm pregnant. Though, maybe he doesn't know about that..."

Kratos did not seem so sure of this, however. Yggdrassil seemed to know a lot more then he was letting on with his supposed mentor, and closest advisor. The leader of Cruxis was certainly a complex individual, and no doubt secretive.

"Kratos, speaking of which, I believe we need to talk about this..."

"What?" The angel asked stupidly, having been so lost in his thoughts, he had forgotten where their conversation had strayed to.

"I mean about the baby. I feel I need to clear things up with you."

Still confused, Kratos continued to stare at the woman expectantly. "Yes?"

He watched as she shifted uncomfortably where she sat. No doubt the topic was uncomfortable for her.

Finally, she spoke. "About the father..."

Kratos watched as her gaze fell to the floor, as it always did when she was unsure of herself.

"It is all right, Raine. You do not have to explain if you do not wish. I...have my theories."

The half elf shook her head in response, attempting to get the man to listen. "No, Kratos. Please listen. I...I don't wish for you to think this child was a product of my trying to get even with you after you left. I was not intimate with anyone after you."

"So, I was correct in my assumptions."

"What?"

Kratos met her eyes, folding his arms across his chest. "I believed your child's father was none other then the man who raped you." Kratos noted soon after his statement, that this had not been the best way to word his response.

Though Raine seemed unphased, he could tell she was holding back from showing how ashamed she was. He knew when he had originally spoken with her after the kidnapping, she had been so distraught. Of course hearing it again, to have to admit it to herself another time could only prove difficult.

In an attempt to comfort her, he rose from his seat, stepping closer to her, grasping her hand in his own.

"It is all right, Raine. I am here for you now. I want to...atone for leaving you for this time. I should have been there for you these months." He paused for a moment, attempting to catch her gaze. "I can...only imagine how frightened you were when you realized you were with child."

He watched as Raine forced a smile to soften her expression. "Its all right, Kratos. That is all behind us now. Besides, I was not alone the whole time. Regal found out soon after he joined us."

Kratos had to admit. He wasn't entirely shocked Regal had knowledge of this. He was an intellectual man from what the angel had experienced from him. And there was no doubt Raine could have used a friend to vent to for that time.

Raine's gaze once again fell to her stomach, sighing as she placed her free hand on it. "I am afraid." She began, a tear rolling down her cheek. "I wonder if I will be able to protect this child. I must admit, when I first found out of its existence, my instinct was to get rid of it. A thought I am not proud of." She paused. "But, now, I am constantly wondering if it is healthy, or if I can keep it safe."

Kratos's eyes widened at her outburst. He had never taken Raine to think of murdering a child, much less her own. However, he had to admit, the thought of her torture with that man for those weeks, all to add up to an unwanted pregnancy must have been difficult. Raine was strong for not following through.

He watched as her eyes met his once more. "I would like if you were to atone instead of watching me all hours of the day, to help Lloyd. Finish what you started. My true desire is to bring this child into a land of peace."

Kratos nodded, seeing no point in arguing with the woman. Besides, he had to admit, Raine was no weakling. If he was sure to check on her every couple of weeks, that should be fine.

After a time, Kratos watched as Raine's eyelids once again began to struggle to stay open. Clearly, the content of the conversation was beginning to put a strain on the young woman.

After once again insisting for her to try and get some sleep, Raine obliged, lying on her bed once more.

A couple of weeks passed by, and Raine had now entered her sixth month of pregnancy. And of course, she was showing quite more. Her stomach had now begun to take on more of a round shape. Unfortunately, this was around the time she was to find out her results on her blood test from the doctor in Flanoir. However, the half elf had no way of traveling. When Lloyd and the others had left Mizuho, they had taken her rheaird. Obviously, they knew her all too well. She most likely would have used the contraption to travel to different continents. Or perhaps to catch up with her group.

Kratos had left the morning after their heavy conversation, and had not yet returned. But, Raine could not blame him. The man was no doubt gathering tools to assist in Yggdrassil's downfall.

Though, she had to admit. She felt safer when he was around. These couple of weeks had been long for her, and full of paranoia. Now that she was aware of Yggdrassil's hunt for her whereabouts, it was crucial to be on her guard every moment.

Raine sighed, pulling her sheets back to climb in her bed. If she couldn't feel safe in a village of ninjas, where could she feel protected? The answer to that was no doubt with Kratos. Now more than ever she wished for her rheaird back.

Hopping in to bed, it did not take long for the young woman to fall asleep.

When she awoke, it would not be in her bedroom.

Her eyes shifted from side to side, already being able to tell from where she lay, this was not her bed. Nor did the walls look familiar. No. This...this seemed to be some sort of dungeon. The walls were concrete, and she was no longer lying on a cushioned surface. Under her was dirt. She slowly sat up, listening as metal clashed against metal.

Curious. Her eyes then focused on chains. Following those chains were handcuffs around her wrists, connecting her to the wall.

_What the...where the hell am i? _She asked herself, feeling as panic began to overtake her.

"Heh heh. I see you have awoken, Miss Sage."

Raine turned her head to see none other than Yggdrassil a few feet from her.

"Damn you! What do you want with me?" She demanded.

"Ah ah. Raine, I will be the one to speak now." The blonde said, holding an index finger to his lips.

Raine felt her stomach turn, just watching as his lips twisted into a cocky grin.

"Well, Raine. How do you like my prison here? I figured it would be the perfect place for you. That is, until you deliver."

Raine felt as her eyes widened at the mention of being trapped with him for a few months. "Wh-what? Why?"

Yggdrassil just shook his head, a simulated look of hurt pasted on his face. "Oh, come now, Raine. You still do not know?"

"Know what?" She spat, losing her patience.

It seemed the blonde noticed this, hurrying his explanation. "That child in your belly that you love so, the one Kratos pledged to help you raise, didn't you ever wonder who the father was?"

Raine narrowed her eyes, too puzzled to link what he was saying together. "Th-the man. The man who kidnapped me...but, what does this have to do with you? I don't understand."

"Honestly, Raine. I thought you were supposed to be brilliant. I guess I will have to spell it out for you. That child is mine. That man was a mere pawn."

Raine could feel her entire body weaken as she slumped further to the ground, shock taking over. "N...No...this can't...be..."

This only earned her a chuckle in Yggdrassil's direction. "Well well. That was more of the reaction I was looking for." He watched as Raine's eyes remained set on the dirt floor, her arms barely holding her up from falling face first into the ground. "Now, is it that awful for you to hear the truth? Come now, Raine. That child you are carrying is going to be the most powerful half elf to walk this planet. You should feel honored."

He then knelt next to her, watching as she slowly raised herself, leaning against the cement wall. The angel brushed a silver hair behind her ear, noting the broken look on her face.

He laughed, placing a hand on her belly. "Yes, I had to use you as my vessel. I knew you would be powerful enough to birth me a child fit to be my successor." He smiled as he felt a small kick. "So, you will remain here as I fatten you up until you give me my child."

He then turned his gaze towards the young woman once more. "Its a pity. We could have been a family. But, after the child is born, I will have to kill you. Perhaps then, Kratos will be too defeated to carry on with his plan. You'll be just like Anna."

He noticed her eyes. They seemed so blank, as if her soul had been sucked from her body. She didn't seem to hear a word he spoke.

This caused his grin to widen, as he quickly stood to his feet, deciding to leave the room to let her absorb what he had just told her. "Do not fret, Raine. I will be back." And with that, the blonde man was gone, followed by the clash of the door slamming shut.

Weeks passed, and Raine continued to sit, still staring at the wall. A month and a half had gone by, but Raine knew no passage of time. Her captives had resorted to forcing the half elf to eat, for she still had no luster for life.

Often times, Yggdrassil would march back down to her prison, taunting her, and placing his hands on her. Torture also seemed a pleasant past-time as well, as he would order his servants to cut her, and hit her. A few times he had even attempted to force her into submission by raping her. This only earned him shrill cries of terror. This was the only response he received.

Though, it had been a week since his last visit. It appeared he was growing tired of her. That she would not speak.

Meanwhile, Kratos knew something was wrong. He had gone to visit Mizuho a few weeks previous, and no one seemed to know of Raine's whereabouts. He had gone in search of every other continent. He had turned up no sight of her.

Becoming desperate, he knew he had to go to Lloyd for help. Which meant, he would have a lot of explaining to do.

He flew on, having heard the group of fugitives were now on their way back to Meltokio.

It didn't take long for him to reach the city. He raced in, finally spotting Zelos's bright red hair.

As he drew closer, it seemed Lloyd was the first to notice him.

"Kratos! What are you doing here?" The boy paused, seeing the look of desperation on the angel's face. "Kratos...?"

"Lloyd, I require your assistance."

Zelos furrowed a brow at the man. "And why do you think we would help you. You're our enemy."

"It is Raine. She is...missing."

"What?" Lloyd demanded.

Now Kratos had their attention.

After much questioning, Kratos had explained everything to the group. That he and Raine were in a relationship, that he had never truly betrayed their group. And of course, that Yggdrassil had been after the woman.

"Damn! We have to go to Derris Kharlan, and get her back! He must have her!" Lloyd shouted.

A tear fell down Genis's cheek. "Raine..."

Regal quickly placed a hand on the boy's shoulder. "It is all right. We'll find her."

After much deliberation, the group had decided to send Lloyd and Regal. Kratos knew he would need assistance from Lloyd, as the boy was indeed powerful. And, Regal would be a benefit to bring along, as he was the most level-headed of all. The others would continue on their mission to try and clear their names in Meltokio.

Lloyd, Regal and Kratos quickly said their goodbyes, flying off to Derris Kharlan.

_Raine, _Kratos thought. _We're coming for you..._


	22. Broken

Whoo! Back with a new chapter. REVIEW! Please and thank you!

=]

~Chapter 22~

Lloyd glanced at Kratos's face. Earlier, when the man had explained his love for Raine, he had to admit, it seemed like Kratos was drawing them into a trap. It would be the perfect plan to lure them to Derris Kharlan, and get rid of them once and for all. But now, seeing that determined look in his eye, it was the most emotion Lloyd had ever seen from him.

They had already infiltrated the Tower of Salvation, and with Kratos's help, no one even took a second glance at the three. Everyone just assumed Lloyd and Regal were prisoners.

Now, they were making their way to the portal that would lead them to Derris Kharlan.

Once they had reached the mysterious planet, Kratos felt now was the time to warn them.

"Now, it will appear since there are no angels around most of Derris Kharlan that we will not have to be as cautious. Let me assure you this assumption is false. Once we draw near to where I believe Raine to be held, things will become very dangerous."

This earned him nods as a response, Lloyd too nervous to speak, and Regal already on guard.

While Regal knew they had wanted him to come along for the purpose that he was a skilled fighter, and level-headed in battle, the man was glad to be coming along. Raine had been his only friend in their group for a while. After she had told him of her pregnancy, he had felt closer to her, as if someone finally trusted him, even though he felt he did not deserve such.

Clearly, this mission would be personal for all three involved. And Kratos knew it would be much more difficult without the entire group joining them. However, it would be much more of a stretch to possess as much stealth as what came in smaller numbers if they had brought everyone.

And, he knew the other four would need to continue on with the plans they had devised on carrying out before Kratos had intervened.

As they raced on, Kratos knew they were growing closer. He knew Yggdrassil well enough to know he would place any new prisoner in the dungeon.

Still, he had the feeling that it would have been best to investigate why his former leader had abducted Raine. It was like she had said, she was not much of a threat in her current condition. So why had he taken the time to snatch her?

Perhaps he had found her to be weakest separated from those who could keep her safe. Maybe this was a trap to get Lloyd up here, to have him killed.

Now, thinking of this plan, it seemed pretty stupid to have drug his son in on this, to save his love. He had put the two people he cared about most in such jeopardy.

Kratos shook this thought off. He didn't have the luxury to be distracted by such things. If he was going to get everyone out of here alive, he would have to be as alert as possible.

"Here it is." Kratos said, stopping in front of a rather large building.

It was a conrete structure, and it appeared the building had once been painted a sterile white. Now, there were chips in the paint to reveal the gray of the concrete. Not to mention the dust that had stained it from years of neglect.

The door they had reached seemed easy enough to enter, as Kratos slipped in first, followed by Lloyd, then Regal.

The trio then found themselves in almost a maze of cell doors, with small bars at the top, allowing them to get a small view of the prison rooms.

"I have never seen the dungeon like this. There are no guards around." Kratos observed.

"Lucky for us, huh?" Lloyd asked.

Kratos's crimson eyes darted from cell to cell. "We will have to look in each door to see which one she is in."

"What?" Lloyd began. "That will take forever!"

"Lloyd, it is our only chance." Regal told the boy. He watched as reason finally got the best of the brunette, and he eventually agreed.

Hours seemed to pass as the three searched and searched.

Finally, Regal cried out, "Over here!"

Lloyd and Kratos rushed over in the direction of his voice. They saw as the blue-haired man slowly turned to face them, eyes wide with horror.

"What is it? Is she okay?" Lloyd asked.

A sickening feeling took Kratos over. He could tell from Regal's expression the news would not be good.

"She is alive if that is what you mean."

Lloyd furrowed a brow, clearly not understanding. "Huh?"

Before the two could continue their conversation, Kratos raced to the door, quickly drawing out a key, and unlocking it.

"Whoa, where did you get that?" Lloyd asked.

"I used to help guard this dungeon. I have a key to each cell." And with that, he opened the door.

Upon seeing Raine's condition, the crimson-haired man immediately froze. He took in the many cuts on her arms, the tattered robe she now wore, ripped in places. Dirt smudged her gorgeous features and caked her arms and legs. Though her stomach was rather large now, the rest of her body seemed shrunken from malnurishment.

But her eyes. Her eyes were by far the worst. She just stared at the wall, past where he stood. She seemed so...lifeless. As if she were sleeping, only with her eyes open.

Quickly, Kratos gathered himself. He could only think of keeping Lloyd from seeing her like this. It would no doubt throw the boy in a rage, not to mention scar him for life.

However, it was too late, as the brunette entered, followed by Regal.

It took one look for Lloyd to race over, kneeling next to his professor, grasping her shoulders. "Professor! Professor, are you all right?" He then began to gently shake the woman in an attempt to snap her out of her trance. "Professor, please!" He then shifted his crimson eyes to the two men also in the room. "She's so cold...is she...is she..." He trailed off, unable to make himself form the word. "I'll kill him." He finally said. His voice was so quiet, it startled Kratos. "I'll kill all of them!"

Kratos shook his head, joining the brunette next to Raine. "Lloyd, we must concentrate on getting her out of here. She is not dead, just in shock. But we need to get her out now."

"We'll have to work on her chains." Regal said, pointing at the handcuffs around Raine's wrists. He then strode over, raising his foot, and slicing the chain with his energy.

Kratos immediately scooped the young woman up, shutting her eyes as he did so. He couldn't bear to look upon the dispirited lack of shimmer they now held. "We must go. Yggdrassil will most likely make his appearance soon, and we need to get Raine to a doctor."

The other two nodded as they raced out of the cell.

Unfortunately, they did not make it far as the blonde man materialized before the three.

"Well, Kratos. I must say, I am not surprised to find you here. However, to see that you have already teamed up with Lloyd again, now that is perplexing."

"Shut up!" Lloyd shouted. "We came here to rescue the Professor from you! You monster!"

This only earned the boy a small chuckle as a sly grin made its way across Yggdrassil's lips.

"Ah, now, you barge into my world, and you call me the monster? Hm. Doesn't seem to make much sense, now does it?"

Kratos saw this as the time to learn of Yggdrassil's plans. "Why did you take her? What is Raine to you? Is it to get your revenge on me again?" Kratos paused, looking down at the woman in his arms. He noticed how pale she looked. How fragile she seemed. It made him sick to see her this way. He then turned his gaze back on the blonde. "If it is, then take my life. Not hers."

He could feel Lloyd glance in his direction, shock evident on his face from his peripheral vision.

Now, Yggdrassil let out a small laugh, obviously amused. "Dear, Kratos. Did you honestly think this was about you? You are sadly mistaken."

"What?"

Yggdrassil shook his head, still amused. He then pointed a finger at Raine. "No. It is not about any of you. Its about that child. _My _child."

If Kratos had felt sick before, now he felt utterly ill. He had been the one to rape Raine. This was his child growing inside of her. His former apprentice and leader had been the one to cause the young woman such grief.

"You bastard! And then you drug her here, and tortured her!" Kratos watched as Lloyd unsheathed his swords, darting over to where the blonde stood, ready to attack.

He saw as Yggdrassil vanished just as the boy swung his sword.

"Damn you!" Lloyd screeched, his crimson eyes searching every inch before them.

Unfortunately, while turned in the other direction, Yggdrassil appeared next to Lloyd, a punch sending him flying past Kratos and Regal.

"Lloyd!" Regal yelled, racing back towards the boy.

The brunette quickly stood to his feet, the discoloration of a bruise forming on his left cheek.

He then turned his gaze to Kratos. "Get the Professor out of here! We'll take care of him."

Kratos narrowed his eyes at the boy, knowing it would not be wise to flee with Raine alone. What if Yggdrassil were to just follow the two, escaping Lloyd and Regal?

But Lloyd seemed determined as he raced back over to Yggdrassil, this time accompanied by Regal.

"Go!" Regal shouted, agreeing with the boy.

Kratos sighed, seeing no other option as his blue wings burst forth from his back, carrying him and Raine off the ground.

It did appear Yggdrassil was slightly distracted by the two, and at least would not be following him too soon.

"Damn you, Kratos! You can take the woman, but that baby she carries is mine!" He heard Yggdrassil scream as he fled.

It seemed like days had gone by as the angel finally emerged from the Tower of Salvation. He just hoped Lloyd and Regal would make it out soon as well.

Deciding it would be best to take Raine to a doctor as soon as possible, he flew in the direction of Flanoir.

Finally, he reached it, and quickly found the doctor's house. Fortunately, the elder man agreed for her to come right in, directing Kratos to lay her down on one of the beds in his office.

"Now, I will need for you to assist me, my good man. If you would raise her sleeves, I will need to clean out her wounds."

Kratos did as he was told, raising the sleeves on her robe high enough to where the cuts ceased. He watched as the doctor gently patted a cloth seeping with solution on Raine's arms.

Once he had finished, the man turned to Kratos. "Now, I will need you to leave, for I need to remove her robe to be sure there are no other wounds."

Kratos could feel his body tense, unwilling to leave her side again. After the scare of losing Raine for two months, he was fearful of leaving her again, even if it would be with a doctor.

However, reason seemed to flush over him, as he slowly nodded, resting one last gaze on Raine. Then, he left the room, seating himself on a chair in the makeshift waiting room.

A few hours passed, and amazingly, Lloyd entered the house, a rush of cold air following him.

"Lloyd! Are you all right?" Kratos asked, watching as the boy sat next to him.

The brunette merely waved him off. "Fine. How is the Professor? Is she going to be all right? And what about the baby?"

Kratos shrugged, folding his arms across his chest. "I do not know as of yet. I have been waiting for the doctor." He paused, turning his gaze back to Lloyd. "Where is Yggdrassil now?"

Now it was Lloyd's turn to shrug. "Beats me. Regal and I were fighting him one minute, then the next, he vanished. I think we nicked his cruxis crystal, and it freaked him out."

This was surely some good news. If they had in fact damaged his cuxis crystal, Yggdrassil would no doubt be trying to fix it. This meant he would be in no shape to come and search for Raine. For a little while at least.

About another half hour passed by as the two strained to make conversation after conversation, striving to make the time fly quicker.

Then, the door to the office opened, the doctor stepping through.

Naturally Lloyd was the first to shoot up from his chair, racing over to the middle aged man. "So? Is she going to be okay?"

The doctor nodded his head, stepping around the brunette. "Yes. It will take time. But, she should recover. It seems the baby is fine as well. You may see her if you like."

Kratos watched as Lloyd shot in through the door. He flashed the man one apologetic look, then followed the boy into the room.

There, he found Lloyd seated by the woman's bed.

She still seemed so fragile, not at all like the animated woman he had come to love. Tubes ran by her nose, assisting her breathing. An IV ran down her arm, inserting antibiotics into her wrist. Bandages now covered her arms, hiding the awful gashes. The bright blue gown she now wore only exaggerated how pale she was. Kratos's heart sank seeing her.

Lloyd had taken ahold of one of her fragile hands, holding it in both of his. "Professor, please wake up soon. I have to know you're okay."

Seeing his son so broken over his teacher's injuries only caused Kratos greater heartbreak. The crimson-haired man slowly meandered over, taking a seat next to his son.

He gently placed one of his hands on his son's shoulder. "It is all right, Lloyd. You heard what the doctor said, did you not? Raine will awake soon enough."

He watched as the brunette nodded his head slowly, a tear running down his cheek. "I told Regal to let everyone know we got her back. Now I'm just glad I didn't tell them to come here." Lloyd told the man, leaning his elbows on Raine's bed, trying to get a closer look at the young woman.

Kratos could only agree. It would no doubt cause great turmoil to the others. Regal had even seemed rather bent out of shape to see Raine in such a state.

He remembered the doctor's words before he had entered the room.

"Now, when Raine awakes, she will most likely not remember any of the past weeks while she was held captive. Part of her brain seemed to have shut down, causing her catatonic state. However, her memories will slowly but surely return, and we can only hope in what little bits she can handle."

Kratos could not be more thankful for this. The poor woman did not need to remember all those horrific things when she woke up.

A few days had passed, and finally Raine had awoken. The doctor had raced to the hotel that currently housed Lloyd and Kratos, telling them of the good news.

Of course the half elf was still rather weak, and no doubt puzzled as to how she ended up in Flanoir's makeshift hospital. But she no longer needed assitance in bleeding, and her cuts were healing at an excellent rate, thanks to the fact she was a healer.

The two darted over, following the doctor as they entered Raine's room.

Kratos was rather pleased to see Raine sitting upright in her bed. She seemed rather bewildered, but otherwise not near as frail as she had appeared previous.

"Professor!" Lloyd cried, running over to her.

The young woman's features twisted into a surprised smile, watching as her student seated himself in the chair next to her bed.

"Are you feeling okay? How's the baby?" The boy asked, sounding evermore like a small child to Kratos.

"I feel okay. And I believe the child is fine." Raine paused, her eyes gracing the small room. "How did I end up here?"

Kratos could feel his body tense, remembering how he had neglected to tell Lloyd of the doctor's words, that Raine would have no memory as of yet.

He knew he had to act fast. "It is a long story. Shall we wait another time to speak of it? You are in need of rest, Raine."

He saw as Raine furrowed a brow, obviously confused as to why Kratos and Lloyd were in the same room, and not fighting.

Kratos noted this, as he continued. "It is another part of the story for later. All you need to be aware of is that we were concerned for your safety, hence why we are now here."

Raine nodded, deciding she was too fatigued to argue with the man.

Her eyes then fell on her bulging stomach as she placed a hand on top of it.

"Wh-what happened? Is it just me, or do I look...bigger now?"

Kratos couldn't help but chuckle at this. Of course this would be the first thing Raine would notice. No. Knowing her, she wouldn't wonder as much of the bandages coating her arms, as she would a little weight gain.

"Well, Professor, I think you are like, seven months along now, or something. At least, that's what the doctor said." Lloyd informed the woman.

Raine's eyes widened, shifting her gaze to Lloyd. "What? I thought I was only six months? What happened to that entire month?"

Kratos decided before the boy gave anything else away, he would take Lloyd to the side to explain the need of not informing Raine of her torture just yet.

He strode over, sending Raine and apologetic glance, and grasped Lloyd's shoulder, guiding him to a corner of the room.

"Lloyd, I need to speak to you about something."

Lloyd nodded, motioning him to continue.

"Raine is not yet aware of her time in captivity. The doctor informed me that she will not remember for some time. We need to be sure her body at least heals before we assist in her retrieval of those memories."

"Oh, well, that's good." He then paused, his eyes widening. "But, Kratos, does that mean...she doesn't remember that Yggdrassil's the father?"

Kratos sighed. This did indeed mean she would not recall Yggdrassil's hideous words. He just wished the same went for him.

That sickening feeling began to wash over the angel once more. It was awful enough to know Raine had suffered once at Yggdrassil's hand, but twice? That was even worse.

Lloyd seemed to have taken notice to Kratos's paling features.

"Uh, Kratos? You all right? You look kind of...sick."

Startled, Kratos jumped slightly. His eyes then fell on Lloyd.

"Yes. I am fine. We should get back to her." He said, nodding in Raine's direction, who was now combing her hair with her fingers.

When she saw the two return, a smile graced her features once more. "So, where is everyone?" She then paused, seeming to think for a moment. "Not that I'm ungrateful for your company. I just wonder where Genis is."

Lloyd sighed. "We thought it would be better to let them come visit you when you've healed a little more."

"Ah, I see."

After another hour of small talk made by mostly Raine and Lloyd, Lloyd yawned. He apparently had decided it was time for rest as he said his goodbye to Raine, and drifted out the door.

Once Kratos was sure the boy was out of earshot, he spoke. "Lloyd was very concerned for you, Raine. It is positive that he will be able to rest tonight." His crimson eyes then met hers. "I believe he has not slept since we have been here."

Raine frowned, her hand still rested on her belly. "Kratos, please tell me what happened. It frightens me to think I do not know about what went on in that duration of a month."

Kratos had to admit, her request did not catch him by surprise. It appeared she had waited until Lloyd had left to ask such a question. Seeing as he had taken his leave, Raine no doubt saw this as an opportune moment. But he had hoped she would have been too exhausted to speak of this now.

"Raine. Do you remember nothing of when you were captured?"

He watched as Raine's features twisted, trying to recall.

Finally, she shook her head. "I only remember walking in my garden, and then I went to bed. After that, nothing."

Kratos had to restrain himself from letting out a sigh of relief. This was surely good news. It was damaging enough he had to know who's child now sat in her belly. She should at least be spared for a while.

"The child is rather active tonight." She said, her gaze fixed on her stomach. "You know, Kratos. It is truly fascinating to think that there is another human life inside of me. Growing, feeding off my body." She paused, running her delicate finger tips across the sphere-like surface. "Truly fascinating..."

Kratos took a step forward, seating himself in the chair Lloyd had previously occupied. "Raine..." He trailed off.

It surprised him when she suddenly took hold of his hand, her eyes meeting his. "I had a dream while I was asleep. That Yggdrassil had captured me." She paused, searching for any change in Kratos's featres. "He told me the baby was his. It seemed so...real."

Oh no. This was not what Kratos had wanted to hear. He had been praying her body would at least recover before this truth would come back to her.

He decided his best bet for now would be to shrug the entire thing off. "That is indeed odd. However, you did say it was a dark-haired man you woke up to. So, that could not be so."

She seemed to ponder this for a moment. Finally, she nodded her head. "Yes. I believe you are correct."

The two sat in silence for a while. Kratos stroking her hand. Raine staring off into space.

Eventually, Kratos had decided it would be best for them to call it a night. Raine still needed much rest. And he knew he needed some time to think.

With a soft kiss of goodbye, the crimson-haired man turned, and walked from the Raine.

Raine knew Kratos was holding something back. He knew something she didn't. It bothered her he would keep something from her. Evidently, whatever it was, it was bad news. And though she had to agree, now may not be the time to shatter her world just yet. She was going to find out what was going on. She just had to.

A couple of weeks had passed, and Raine was declared fit to leave the makeshift hospital.

This was bittersweet news, noting the woman had now entered her eighth month of pregnancy. It seemed unfair she would be deamed fit to join the regular world once more when she could hardly move.

Luckily Kratos and Lloyd had shown up to help her leave.

Raine wanted nothing more than to return to see her brother in Meltokio. Apparently, their status as fugitives was lifted. Lloyd had rushed in to tell her one day while she lay in bed.

However, it seemed that was not to be, as Kratos immediately discredited this thought.

"No. It is too close to when you are due to deliver. It is best if you stay in Flanoir. At least until the baby comes."

"Not to mention it probably won't be easy for you to travel all the way there. I mean, the rheaird may not even be able to hold you up anymore!" Lloyd piped up.

This earned him a stern glance from Kratos, quickly silencing the boy.

Raine sighed. She had to admit. Both were right. Even if Lloyd's response was quite insulting, he had a point. She would be in no shape to travel. Plus, to be close to the doctor would be wonderful when the baby came.

It seemed after a few minutes of silence, Lloyd gained the courage to speak once more. "I could always go back and get everyone up here. They can at least visit you before we have to continue on our journey."

Finding this a good compromise, Raine nodded. It would be wonderful to see everyone again. And, she was sure if they knew the extent of her previous injuries, they would no doubt be glad to see her well again.

In a flash, Lloyd was out the door, on his way to the imperial city.

This left Kratos to remain with her.

It was rather awkward to say the least to be alone with the man now. As the days passed, the man's eyes now seemed glued to her stomach. He would rarely ever meet her gaze.

Of course it was hard to ignore her protruding belly, but even the citizens of the village who barely knew her would only spare her a glance for a second or two. There was no doubt pregnant women seemed to attract attention, but come on. Up until now, the entire time Kratos had been privy to the existence of her child, he would always look her in the eye.

Now, it was like he couldn't bear to.

Deciding now was the time to question him, Raine spoke. "Kratos, is there something wrong?"

"Why would you think that?"

She watched as one of his fists clenched, a good sign he was either irritated, or uncomfortable. Maybe even both.

"You just seem...different. You act as though you can't stand to be in the same room as me."

She was answered with silence as he turned to look out the window of the inn they were now staying at.

"Kratos?"

More silence.

"For God's sake, Kratos! At least look at me! What have I done to offend you?"

Now she could see a drop of blood fall to the floor from his clenched hand. Still, no reply.

"Damnet, Kratos! If you can not stand to be near me, then just leave! I can not handle anymore stress right now! If you want to go, just do it now!"

She watched as he whirled around, taking a step towards her. She could see a flame ignite his already crimson eyes.

She felt as though she had gone too far with that last statement, but no way was she backind down.

"Do not say such a thing!" Came his voice. His eyes bore into hers, causing her body to tremble slightly.

However, her slight fear was not about to keep her from speaking her mind. "Well? What is it you want from me? I can't stand to see you like this! I feel as though you're disgusted with me! And it hurts!" A single tear found its way down her cheek, dropping to the bed she was seated on with a soft _ping. _

"I want that child to be mine! Not his!"

Raine's eyes widened. This was the most emotion she had ever seen from the man. Not to mention such a blunt confession. "Wh...what?" She asked stupidly. It was all she could muster to spill from her lips. She slowly stood to her feet, feeling the baby kick in protest. "What do you mean, 'his'? You know who the father is, don't you?"

She could see the look of hostility begin to dissipate, replaced by that of a pained one.

Now, she was sure he knew. And by the look of it, it made her heart sink.

"Who is it?"

Silence once more.

"Who is it, damnet? I have to know!" She felt as the baby began to kick harder, no doubt from how unsettles she was becoming. She slowly placed a hand on her stomach, and the other on her back, helping to support herself.

"You should have a seat." The man finally said.

Raine shook her head, tired of the game he was playing. "No. You will tell me now."

She watched a beads of sweat formed on his brow. He was no doubt stalling.

"Now, damn you!"

"It is Mithos."

Raine raised a silver brow, having not heard the name before, aside from in the history books she taught students out of. "Who?"

Kratos sighed, running a hand through his hair. "It is Yggdrassil's former name. That child is his."

Raine could feel the breath sucked from her, as the room began to lose focus and spin. This couldn't be. The man who had caused them so much grief already. The man who used to be Kratos's leader.

Then, this meant those dreams she had back in that hospital were true. She had been captured. He had tortured her. Taken her life from her once again.

A hideous cry rang through the room. It was shrill, and it caused Raine to tremble. Until she realized the cry had come from her.

She could feel Kratos's arms around her, slowly stroking her back. When had he grabbed her?

It was then that she realized both were on the floor. She must have fallen when the room began to spin.

"No! God's no!" She cried as she buried her face in his chest.

Now, she wasn't sure what part was worse. The fact that her enemy was using her to bring his successor into the world. Or that he had taken her many times in that damn dungeon.

As all those monsterous memories flooded her at once, Raine continued to scream, and sob in torment.

She was even sure at one point, she had begged Kratos to end her life. The pain had become unbearable now. And a few times, she had tried to free herself from the angel's grasp, wanting to be away from him from shame.

That was when it hit her. Did he know the full extent of the agony she had undergone? If he did, how did he not find her disgusting? Repulsive even?

However, he would not let go. He just continued to rub her back in a small attempt to soothe her.

It appeared after what seemed as hours of torturous sobbing, Raine could only made soft hiccuping noises, her tears all cried out.

When she heard herself speak once more, her voice did not even seem to belong to her anymore. It sounded nothing like her, as she croaked, "How am I supposed to live with all of those horrific memories now?"

She felt as Kratos combed his fingers through her silky hair. "I had hoped they would not all come at once. I wished for you to have the ability to cope with them better." He then paused.

Raine could feel as his body shook slightly as he continued. "Forgive me, Raine. I should never have said such things to you. Nor should I have told you of Mithos."

"I needed to know." There was that cursed weak voice again. She sounded so broken, even to her own ears. She could only imagine what that did in turn to Kratos. But, she had neither the strength, nor the will to try and reassure him.

Her world had just been shattered in a matter of minutes.


	23. Gathering Courage

~Chapter 23~

Kratos watched as Raine's crumpled form ceased to shake. Now, she seemed lifeless. He knew it had been foolish to say such things to her. To even bring up the paternity of her child.

Her head now rested on his shoulder, and her arms hung limp at her sides.

Growing concerned, and unwilling to relive her previous catatonic state, Kratos spoke up. "Raine, are you all right?"

There was a pause. And then, he felt as she gently nodded her head.

Needing to see her face, Kratos pulled back from her, grasping her head in his hands as he did so.

Though her face was stained with tears, and she did indeed look rather worse for wear, her eyes were not blank as they had once been. She was going to be all right.

However, he knew it would take time. Which meant when the others arrived, he would unfortunately have to inform them it would be wise to give her time to herself.

"Kratos?"

Her voice sounded so weak, he almost believed he imagined it.

"Yes?"

"Do...do you know everything that happened to me in that dungeon?"

This question caused him to stop and think for a moment. What did she mean? Of course he knew Mithos had tortured her. He had starved her, cut her, chained her to the wall. What else had he done to her?

"Raine, what pain did he inflict upon you? Other than the obvious."

He watched as she broke from his grasp, her gaze shooting to the floor. Her hair now shrouded her beautiful face. Most likely what she had been hoping for. Apparently she did not want to look him in the eye, nor the other way around.

This was no doubt news that would challenge his ability to keep from slaughtering Yggdrassil himself.

When she spoke, it was a dull whisper. "He..." She paused. He could hear a small cry break free from her lips. Then, she continued. "N...nothing. Forget I said anything."

Now she was beginning to sound like her usual self. Though, he still wanted to know what other atrocities had befallen her in that dungeon.

"No. I will not. Tell me what happened." Even to himself his voice sounded stern. But, he needed to know what she had been through.

He watched as she simply shook her head. "No. Forget it. Right now, I need to make myself presentable for when everyone gets here." She paused as she slowly stood to her feet with the assistance of the wall behind her. "I can not let them see me like this."

As she began to stride over to a mirror, Kratos quickly made his way over to the young woman.

"Raine, are you still planning on seeing everyone? Do you not think it would be wise to rest for the remainder of the day?"

Raine sighed, running a finger under her eyes to wipe the excess tears away.

"I have to see my brother." Came her simple reply.

"Do you believe it beneficial for him to see you like this?"

He watched as she ceased her actions, slowly turning to face him. "What are you talking about?"

"No matter how long you attempt to prepare yourself for their visit, Raine, you will still be quivering as you are now."

She hadn't noticed before, but sure enough, as she looked down at her hand, Raine could see she was in fact still shaking. She had to admit. She was still in shock after all.

To find out for a second time who the father of her child was rather difficult to bear. She had to admit that. However, she could not let it get in the way of her visitation. Though Kratos would most likely not understand, she needed to see everyone. It would be good for her, to get everything off her mind, even if only for a few hours. Letting her shoulders relax, her eyes focused on the Kratos once more.

"I'll be fine." She paused, watching as he opened his mouth to speak. She immediately held up a finger in protest, silencing him. "If it will please you, I promise once they leave, I will rest. You may not understand, Kratos, and I wouldn't expect you to. But, I must see them."

She watched him ponder her words for a few moments, sloshing their contents around in his mind, until finally, he simply nodded.

About another hour had passed, and with Kratos's help, Raine looked much more like herself. Her hand still quivered slightly, but other than that, it was as if their previous conversation had never occured.

The group finally arrived, the sounds of the rheairds' wooshing disturbing the still air.

Fortunately, Raine had been correct. The visit seemed to keep her focus off of Yggdrassil. And, just seeing her younger brother so vibrant, and well. It did her good. Even when he joked of her new added girth.

A couple of hours had passed, and the conversing between everyone seemed to be slowly dying down. Raine knew that meant soon, the others would leave, and she would once more be left with her thoughts.

Of course she would have Kratos with her. He had promised not to leave her yet. Though, it was because of him her mental dam had fallen, and she remembered everything. She knew he had not meant to cause her such distress, that he was caught up in the heat of the moment. But, she couldn't keep herself from blaming him for her newfound depression.

"All right, Professor, we had better get going." Lloyd's baritone announced, infiltrating her mind, and momentarily silencing her thoughts.

"Oh, right. Well, thank you all so much for coming to see me." Her crystal eyes scanned the group before her. "Hopefully the next time you see me, I'll be my slender self once more." She said with a small laugh.

This earned her a few chuckles and sly grins as one by one, they came up to embrace her.

When the last person, Zelos, approached her, a rather large grin was plastered across his lips.

"I for one will be glad to see you back to normal, though I must say, the baby bump does work for you."

Though he indeed still sounded like the pig everyone knew him to be, Raine knew he was trying to slip her a compliment.

Ignoring the many clever insults pounding through her head by now, Raine returned the smile. "Why thank you, Zelos. You be careful, all right?"

The red head let out a small chuckle, wrapping his arms around her frame. "Of course, of course." He then lingered for a moment, and in a much more subtle tone, whispered. "You, too, Raine." And with that, he pulled away from her, giving her a small wink, and exiting out the door.

Raine had to admit. It startled her to hear Zelos say something like that to her. He was never serious. And why would he think she would have to be careful? He couldn't possibly know about Yggdrassil being the father.

On the other hand, why had everyone been so calm around Kratos? What had happened while she had been away?

There were so many unanswered questions. She just had to know what was happening.

She heard as in the next room, Kratos said his farewells to everyone, of course, his goodbye with Lloyd lingering longer than the rest. Then, the small thud of the door closing. She listened as his foot steps grew closer.

She seated herself on the bed, the metal groaning under her added weight.

Then, Kratos entered the bedroom. "Are you feeling well?" He asked.

She nodded.

He joined her on the bed, seating himself next to her, taking her hand in his.

Finally gathering the courage, Raine blurted, "Do the othes know about the baby? Who the father is? Did you tell them?"

His silence proved she had surprised him.

"Where would you get an idea like that?"

She paused, gathering her thoughts. "Zelos told me to be careful. He never says anything of that sort to anyone. It makes me believe he truly believes I am in danger. Not to mention the didn't enter with pitchforks to slay you with."

He furrowed a brow, turning to face her. "And why would you think they would do such a thing?"

Raine couldn't hide her surprise. Where had he been? He had betrayed them months ago to fight on their enemy's side. Now he acted as if nothing had happened. "Kratos, as far as they know, you're fighting on Yggdrassil's side."

She could tell she had caught him. He would now be forced to tell the truth she had been waiting to hear since she awoke in that doctor's house to both he and Lloyd waiting for her awakening.

"I enlisted the help of Lloyd and Regal to rescue you from Yggdrassil. I obtained their trust by telling them I was indeed concerned for your safety." He paused, his eyes shying away from her penetrating gaze. "That is when we became privy to the knowledge of your child's father. It seems they took the liberty of allowing the others to know."

His gaze fell on her once more, apparently concerned his explanation may be too much for her.

Fortunately, she did not seem as fragile as she had before. Perhaps the visit had been a good idea.

"Well, that does explain a lot. However, I can't say that I'm happy they know about this now." She said, placing a hand on her stomach. "But, I am happy they're not hunting you anymore."

This earned her a small smile, as Kratos nodded his head in agreement.

After a moment's pause, he released her hand. When she shot him a questioning glance, Kratos stood to his feet. "Now you must keep your end of our agreement. It is time for you to rest, Raine."

Raine nodded, knowing there was no getting out of this. He offered her hand, and she took it, rising from the bed slowly. She then waited as he peeled back the blankets, allowing her to slide in.

With a silent kiss, Kratos left the room.

A smile still planted on her face, Raine laid back, rolling onto her side, and slowly closing her eyes.

~End of Chapter 23~

I know. I know. Lame. But I have had the WORST writer's block on this story lately, and I didn't want to just rush through the next chapter. I promise the next chapter will be more eventful, and better written. And, hopefully will pop up sooner than this one did. =]

Please review!


	24. Unbearable Pain

Hey everybody! Finally back with a new chapter. Sorry for the delay! Been super busy lately.

Thank you so much for all the reviews. I really appreciate it. Definitely keeps me going!

Anyway, enough chat.

Disclaimer-I do not own Tales of Symphonia, nor will I ever.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Chapter 24~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Raine awoke sometime later the next morning. Sunlight filtered through the flower-print curtains, making the shapes cause dancing shadows on the wall.

She slowly raised her body into a seated position, stretching her arms as she did so.

She sat for a while, turning her head to look out the window, seeing the snow-covered streets. Flanoir was practically a ghost town. No doubt the reason being it was now the weekend, and many people did not have to leave their homes for work.

This sat as good news for Raine. No one would be out to stare at her stomach, or question when she was due. At first, these questions did not bug Raine much. Of course people always seemed to be curious about a pregnant woman's due date, but lately she had begun to resent it.

As if reading her thoughts, she felt a small kick from inside her. The half elf jumped slightly, then placed a hand on her stomach. She then rose from the bed, placed the covers in the order they had been before she laid down, and then exited the room.

As she entered the living room portion of the hotel room, her eyes searched for Kratos's whereabouts. However, he was no where to be found.

Raine shrugged it off, deciding the Cruxis angel had finally gone out to get some much needed fresh air.

She made her way to the kitchen, grasping an apple from the bowl seated on the counter. She then made her way back into the living room, plopping down on the large sofa.

The half elf then grabbed a book from the table in front of her. Genis had borrowed it for her from the library in Meltokio, knowing the subject matter would interest her.

Her delicate fingers graced over the letters on the binding that read "Mana-Here Today, Gone Tomorrow." As the title suggested, the book was indeed about the declining state of mana in both Tethe'alla and Sylvarant.

Raine flipped a page as she took a bite of her apple. Her eyes scanned the index page of the book, reading the titles of the chapters as she did so, familiarizing herself with the book's contents.

Hours seemed to pass, and still no sign of Kratos. Anxiety began to inject its way into Raine's heart, but she soon let it pass. Kratos was without a doubt able to take care of himself. He would be back when he was ready.

She continued to read a while longer, slowly beginning to become rather fatigued.

When she reached the point where she could no longer keep her mind focused on the contents of the words her eyes were impatiently scanning, she set the book down, and decided to rest some more.

Today seemed ideal for rest. The baby was not very active, and she did need to catch up on some much needed sleep.

Slowly, she raised her legs onto the sofa, lounging in a position where she lay on her side, facing the inside of the couch.

It didn't take long for sleep to overcome the woman.

However, the same went for her to be awoken.

A rather painful sensation in her lower back made itself known as her chance at sleep was quickly shattered. Raine let out a small groan, her eyes snapping open. Her first instinct was to call for Kratos. Something was definitely not right in the cramp she had experienced. However, as she slowly rose into a seated position, her eyes scanned the room. No sign of Kratos. If he had come back, he would no doubt be somewhere in view.

As the half elf moved her legs, she felt a wet spot covering the couch.

Raine's eyes widened, staring at the foreign substance seeping into the fabric. Either she had just peed in her sleep, or her water had broken.

The more logical of course seemed to be the latter. Which meant she was of course in labor.

She waited for another contraction to pass before she rose to her feet. She had to get to the doctor. If Kratos wasn't in her immediate vicinity, the doctor could always find him for her. There was no way she could search the city for one man when she was in labor, and it was snowing outside.

Once she reached the door, another contraction stopped her in her tracks. The pain was becoming rather unbearable, and it was enough to cause her to double over. Once the pain began to fade away, she knew she had to rush. It would only be another matter of minutes before she would be hindered with another cramp.

Finally, after seeming to her to be a lifetime, the half elf made it to the makeshift hospital. She quickly barged in, while being hit with another contraction. Apparently, a soft moan was enough to explain to the man that she was indeed going to have her baby. The next thing she knew, she was being ushered into the next room. The doctor set her up in a bed, and began running tests on her.

He quickly grasped a stethoscope while drilling Raine about her labor pains.

"Miss Sage, when did the contractions start?" He asked in a rather calm tone. She knew he was trying to help her relax. She had to admit, he did have a wonderful bed side manner.

"Um, I can't be sure. I was asleep for a little while. But, I woke up about a-" Another contraction interrupted Raine, causing her to grip the sides of the bed, her fingers digging into the mattress.

When the pain had once again passed, Raine continued. "I woke up about a half an hour ago."

The gray haired man nodded, opening her robe, and placing the cold metal of the stethoscope on her bare skin. It made the young woman flinch.

"All right," He began, ignoring her slight jump. "So, how far apart are your contractions now?"

Raine pondered that for a moment. "About four minutes."

"Mhmm..." The doctor trailed off.

Raine furrowed a brow at the man, watching as he scrawled a few things on the clipboard he was now holding. "What? Is there something wrong?" She asked, becoming concerned.

The man looked up, startled for a moment, then smiled. "No. Of course not. Just taking notes now." He then set the clipboard down, continuing on. "But, it is clear you will be having the baby soon. Is there anyone you would like me to contact? It seems you still have some time to wait if your contractions are still 4 minutes apart."

"Do you think its wise to leave me alone that long?" Raine asked, running a hand over her stomach in an effort to ease the pain radiating from it."

The man just laughed. "Of course not. My nurse will be just outside the door. If you need anything, just yell for her."

This seemed to satisfy the young woman, as she slowly let the tension leave her body. "Well, I would like it if Kratos were here." She paused, waiting to see if recognition entered the doctor's features. When it didn't, she preceded in her description. "You know, the man that was in with me the last time. The one with the fiery red hair."

Finally, the doctor nodded his head. "Of course. I would have expected him to come with you the way he acted when you were being treated. Of course I will try my best to find him."

After one quick check of feeling for the baby, the man exited the room.

Raine sighed. This was all happening so fast. It seemed she didn't have any time at all to prepare for the birth of her child. The entirety of her pregnancy was spent traveling, or held in captivity.

She groaned once more as another contraction overtook her body. Was it just her, or was the pain lasting longer now?

Unfortunately, there was no time for her to focus on her own pain, as a large crashing sound came from the waiting room.

As if this wasn't unsettling enough, Raine heard the nurse let out a bloodcurling scream. Then, silence.

Ignoring the shooting pain for the moment, Raine attempted to sit up, and slowly ease herself down from the bed. If she could just hide...

She didn't know what was out there, but it couldn't be good news. She just had to find a place to hide. Unfortunately, as her eyes frantically searched for a place suitable, the door flew open.

Raine felt the air being sucked from her lungs as she saw who stood before her...

Liquid blonde hair falling past his shoulders, wings fluttering from his back holding many different colors Raine couldn't even fathom the name of, and eyes so devoid of a soul. It sickened the half elf.

Many phrases flashed through Raine's mind. She had to scream something. Some form of help. Maybe someone nearby could hear? Even as she thought this, she knew if that would have been the case, someone would have come in to help the poor nurse, who Raine could now see lying on the floor in a pool of her own blood.

"Ah, speechless, are we?" Yggdrassil asked in his sickeningly satin tone. He stepped closer to her, letting out a small chuckle as he watched her take a step backwards. "Oh, Raine. You should know better by now. You cannot escape me."

As if to prove a point, Raine felt a hard surface develop behind her. She knew without looking it was a barrier the cruxis leader had erected. Now, sheer panick had begun to seep into her skin, causing her to slowly fall to her knees. Her only form of defense was to place her hands on her stomach, as if cradling it.

"My fellow half elf. It is time you came with me." He said simply, stooping to her level.

Before Raine could react, he had her by the arm. After that, the woman was unsure of what happened. The next thing she knew, she was in a strange room. One where she could see strips of purple land outside the window. Could that even be possible?

Yggdrassil seemed to have noticed her questioning glance, for he answered her unspoken question. "Yes. As you may have guessed, we are no longer in Tethe'alla. Nor are we in Sylvarant." He paused, dragging her to a bed in the sterile white room. Once he had forced her to lay down, he leaned down and whispered in her ear, "You're in my world now."

He seemed to notice as yet another contraction shot through Raine. The pain was becoming so immense, her vision blurred from the effect.

"Oh, Raine. It hurts me to see you in so much pain. Though, it will all be worth it when our child is here." He told her, placing a hand on her abdomen, and gently caressing it. "It won't be much longer."

"G-get away from me..." Raine forced out. She frowned at her own voice. She had been hoping for more conviction in her statement. Though, she had to admit, it was the best she could do for now.

The blonde man just seemed to ignore her for the time being. He just kept his hand on her stomach, his eyes bearing into hers.

Her only hope now was for Kratos to figure out where she had been taken. That was assuming the doctor could find him...

Kratos raced through the city streets, watching as the sun began to slowly set in the distance. How could he have left Raine so close to her due date? His legs were a blur as he followed the doctor back to the hospital.

Unfortunately, once they had reached the building, it appeared an atrocity had befallen. The front wall of the house was missing, parts of the roof were crumbling to what was left of the tile floors, and a middle-aged woman lay dead.

"Oh God..." The doctor trailed off, rushing to the corpse. "Wh-what has happened here?"

It was the most emotion Kratos had heard from the man in the short time he had known him. Usually, the graying doctor had such a calm air about him, it caused Kratos to temporarily lose rationality.

Frantic, he turned toward the door leading into the next room. As he expected, it was already open, and there was no sign of Raine. His angel senses had already detected that from the time they arrived. He just had to be sure.

There was of course the standard good news, and bad news. The good news being he knew who had Raine, and where she was. The bad news? Mithos would not be an easy foe.

Kratos closed his eyes, disregarding the nagging in his mind to not walk straight into danger's way. He had to rescue Raine and the child.

**A:N**-All right, so I know what you all are thinking. How could Raine have just gone into labor, and already have contractions only 4 minutes apart.

Well, you're just going to have to wait for the next chapter to find out!

And I promise, it won't take as long as this one did. =P


	25. Memorable Battle

Back again!

All right, guys. ENJOY!

_Chapter 25_

When Kratos reopened his eyes, he found he was indeed looking upon the decimated streets of Derris Kharlan. He could very well feel the presence of both Mithos and Raine. This was good. He should find them in no time.

As he began walking, a thought hit him stifling him in his tracks momentarily. What would he do when he reached the two? There was no way he alone could take on Yggdrassil now. The leader of Cruxis had of course become a much more powerful half elf than he had been when Kratos was training him in the arts of magic.

Kratos shook his head. There was no time for that now. He had to keep moving.

As he did so, he could feel Raine's presence becoming stronger. That meant she was close...

Raine was now struggling not to vomit. The pain was becoming so intense, that she had abandoned all attempts at shooing Yggdrassil away. Now all she could manage to do was cling to the side of the bed, and curl into a slight fetal position.

As twisted as he was, Yggdrassil was now oddly attempting to comfort the young woman. He was stroking her back with the tips of his fingers, while repeatedly telling her it would all be worth it when their baby arrived.

It was all Raine could do not to strike at him. But she knew if she did, he would punish her somehow. And Raine could not deal with anymore pain.

"Oh God..." Was all she could manage, gripping the mattress harder.

"Mithos! Get away from her!" She heard a familiar baritone command.

"Kr-Kratos?" She asked, her voice barely more than a whisper. She dared a peek to be sure it was him.

"Kratos! How dare you interrupt! Can you not see we are in the middle of something?" Yggdrassil demanded, leaving Raine's side to march his way over to Kratos.

As if remembering she was in the room, Kratos's crimson eyes darted to the half elf on the bed. He watched as another tortured cry escaped her lips. How he longed to be next to her...

"Agh!" Kratos cried, as Yggdrassil launched a ball of energy his way.

Kratos clutched his shouler where the energy had hit. He could feel the warm, liquidy sensation as the blood began to flow from the wound. That of course had not been the opportune time to become distracted.

Now focused on the task at hand, Kratos unsheated his sword. He turned his crimson eyes on Yggdrassil, now at the ready to fight.

Yggdrassil, apparently taking this as a new challenge, smirked at the man. "Let us make this quick, Kratos. I need to prepare for my child's birth."

There was that sickening feeling again...Kratos knew he had to defeat the blonde man. And quick. He would need to rush Raine back to Flanoir. Though the doctor had lost his medical building, he would still know the right way to deliver a baby. And hopefully find a way to ease Raine's pain.

As Yggdrassil fired up another energy ball, Kratos darting over, raising both his sword and shield. He was ready to fight. Of course, he had the ability to use magic as well. However, he knew Mithos had never been strong in close combat. This would be his only chance at defeating the blonde.

Kratos swung his blade, knowing full well that it would not make contact.

He watched as the man before him disappeared. That could only mean one thing...

Kratos jerked his body in a 180 degree motion. There, as he suspected, stood Yggdrassil, still holding his energy ball, and at the ready to throw it.

Kratos forced his shield up, protecting his body just as Yggdrassil let go. He could feel the energy pushing his body backward. No doubt what Yggdrassil had been hoping for.

Without thinking, Kratos lunged at the Cruxis leader once more. He continued to swing his sword, and dodge Yggdrassil's attacks, but he knew neither were progressing. He needed to come up with a new strategy. Raine needed him now more than ever.

As if the thought of her danger wasn't enough, he heard another cry ring through the room. He just had to finish the fight...

Meanwhile...

Raine continued to grip the mattress on the bed. Her breathing came in short gasps, as she tried to find a way to mentally deal with her pain. She attempted to focus her mind on other things, such as the fight enveloping in front of her, or on where her brother could be. She even tried rubbing her stomach in a soothing manner in an effort to ease the pain that way. The other thing she had learned from the doctor was to try breathing exercises. They were apparently supposed to regulate her breathing, and therefore make labor pain easier to deal with.

This was not the case for the young half elf. Nothing seemed to be working, and she knew she was close to delivering. She was beginning to feel the urge to push. Of course, she knew she had to wait until her and Kratos got out of this crazy world. So instead, she continued to try and focus on other things. She just had to fight this oncoming birth for as long as she could.

This was seeming to become easy as she listened to the sounds of Kratos's cries of pain. She knew he had been hit multiple times, and that he was beginning to wear down. She knew once she had her baby, she would need to heal the man. Raine knew it was a risky move, to be so drained and to use magic, but she would have to. She knew she just had to.

Another contraction hit her, causing her to cry out, and gasp in pain. Hadn't she just had a contraction a minute ago? The pain was becoming unbearable, even for Raine who had been in battle, and seriously injured a few times.

When the pain from the contraction began to fade, and Raine's mind began to clear, her mind once again turned to the battle still going on in front of her. She longed to be able to fight with Kratos. She just knew if she could assist him, Yggdrassil would stand no chance.

Raine had noticed Yggdrassil was definitely not living up to his usual potential. And she knew he was too distracted by the thought of his child. Kratos was a strong fighter, no doubt about that. However, Raine knew on a normal day, he would not stand a chance against Yggdrassil's heightened magic skills.

That was when Raine began to devise a plan...

Maybe she could in fact help him. It would just take a little timing, and a slight use of magic. But she could do it.

If she could just be sure a contraction would not hit her in the middle of her chanting, she could use a spell to momentarily distract Yggdrassil. This would in turn temporarily give Kratos the upper hand, and hopefully help him defeat the Cruxis leader.

As yet another contraction passed, Raine knew it was now or never. Still racked with pain, Raine began to chant. She she did, a golden light began to form around Yggdrassil, startling him for a moment, as well as Kratos.

Kratos shot the young woman a glance, then, seeming to understand, turned back to face his opponent. Taking his sword, Kratos thrusted it at the blonde, shouting, "Light spear cannon!" As Raine yelled;

"Photon!"

The two energies combined, causing Yggdrassil to cry out in pain, and fall to the ground.

Knowing they were not in the clear as of yet, Kratos continued to attack, not allowing Yggdrassil to recover from his shock.

"Lightning blade!" Kratos cried.

He continued until he noticed Yggdrassil's body slump.

Though he looked weathered, and rather worse for wear, Kratos knew the angel was still alive. But, he had to take the opportunity to take Raine, and flee.

The crimson-haired man turned to face her direction, only to see Raine now screaming in pain.

He raced to her, and grasped her arm. "I shall get you out of here." He told her.

In the next instant, they were back in the ruins of the hospital.

"Wh-Where did you two just come fr-" The doctor began, watching in amazement as the pair materialized before him.

"Nevermind that!" Kratos shouted. "Raine is about to have her child!" He continued, still holding onto the silver-haired woman's arm.

Raine, who now sat on the floor, was doubled over in pain. Her arms were around her stomach, as if trying to hold onto it.

The graying man who seemed to understand for the moment, dropped to his knees. "All right, Raine. I need for you to lay back."

Raine shot the doctor a frightened look, knowing only rubble would greet her already sore head.

Knowing her fear, the man then turned his head up to look at Kratos. "You, sit behind her, and let her head rest in your lap."

He waited as both followed suit. He then directed his next statement at Kratos.

"All right. Now, Kratos. I need for you to hold Raine's hands for me. We need her to be as still as possible."

Kratos nodded, grasping both of the young woman's hands.

He watched as she looked up at him, panic evident in her face. "It is all right, Raine. I'm right here. Do not worry."

She nodded, letting her body be taken with yet another contraction. "Agh!" She cried, a tear rolling down her cheek.

And then, Kratos heard the doctor speak once more.

"Raine, its time to push."

Yay! You didn't have to wait super long for the next chapter!

And hopefully the same will go for the next. Writer's block is a killer!


	26. The Birth

_I am so sorry this took so long to put up. Writer's block is such a killer. I feel like I say that a lot...Anyway, its finally here, so I hope you enjoy it!_

_Disclaimer-I don't own Tales of Symphonia. YA HAPPY?_

The birth was long and slow. Raine had been certain a few times she would surely die. But all the while, Kratos held onto her arms, giving her words of encouragement, until finally she heard what she had been waiting for. A cry. A loud cry resounded through the wreckage of the makeshift hospital. Immediately, she shut her eyes tight, a tear rolling down her cheek.

"Are you all right, Raine?"

She opened her eyes for just a moment to meet Kratos's. His face was scrunched into a look of concern.

"Fine. Just exhausted." She answered before shutting them again. She wanted to be able to remain conscious to see her baby. A few more minutes went by as they baby's cries were the only sound. Finally, she heard the doctor say, "Would you like to see her?"

Her? It was a girl? Raine opened her eyes again, this time to find her daughter wrapped in a small blanket being handed to her. "She's beautiful...absolutely beautiful." Her eyes were closed, but Raine knew immediately they matched her crystal ones. A small tuft of silver hair appeared on her head, adding to the beauty of the child in her arms.

It seemed an eternity ago when she had found out she was pregnant. It was crazy to think then that she had been so unhappy. Now, here she was, holding her child in her arms. She felt as hot tears flowed down her cheeks. Almost immediatley, Kratos's finger reached around to wipe them away.

"Raine, I hate to do this, but we must leave this place. Yggdrassil will be no doubt be looking for us, and we need to find a place to hide."

The half elf sighed. Of course this happy moment couldn't last forever. She wondered how they were supposed to travel though? There was no way she could walk. And it would be too dangerous to have Kratos carry them both while he flew. What would they do?

As if reading her thoughts, Kratos's baritone announced, "I can transport us, remember?"

That's right. She had forgotten he could do that. Since the first time she had found out, she was in labor. Good. At least all she would have to do was sit there. Her body ached beyond all reason, and she was so tired. It was a struggle to even keep her eyes from closing. She slowly nodded as she felt Kratos's arm snake around her.

"Thank you so much. For everything." She said to the doctor, just before he vanished from sight. As a replacement, she found a familiar sight had greeted her. They were now just outside the front door of Lloyd's house.

Kratos, standing to his feet knocked lightly on the door. Within minutes, it opened to reveal the burly man called Dirk. "Kratos? What are you doing here?" His brown eyes then found Raine on the ground clutching her baby. "Raine? What's going on?"

"May we come in?" Kratos asked, ignoring Dirk's questions for the moment. They needed to get Raine into a bed. He could tell she was ready to collapse. And from the baby's cries, they needed to get her out of the cold.

Dirk nodded vigorously. "Of course! I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking clearly." Knowingly, he stooped down to take the child from Raine's arms, as Kratos's reached down to grab the young woman. Once they were inside, Dirk instructed Kratos to lay Raine down on the bed found just inside the house.

"Now sleep, my love. You must rest. We shall watch over you." Raine was shocked to hear the words come from Kratos's mouth. He had never said anything so sweet to her in the time she had known him. However, she rather enjoyed it. Now comforted beyond all reason, she closed her eyes. But not before speaking one last time.

"Eden."

"What is it, Raine?" Came Kratos's gentle voice. She heard as her baby girl cried in his arms.

"Eden is her name." And with that, consciousness fled from the young woman's body. Sleep had never come so fast.

When she awoke, she found Kratos and Dirk seated at the table. But where was Eden? The half elf jolted from the bed, her frantic eyes darting this where, and that.

Kratos seemed to notice her first. "Raine, what is it?"

"Where's Eden?"

A smile crept across the crimson-haired man's features as he pointed to the south of the room. There, against a wall was a small crib holding her daughter. Raine could feel her heart begin to beat at a normal rhythm once more.

"That's Lloyd's old crib. I dug it out of my shed. Figured ya two would need a break from holding her sometime."

Raine nodded. That was indeed the truth. Sleep had done wonders for her, and to be truthful, she still felt rather weary.

Noting this, Kratos strode over to her, placing a hand to her cheek. "Why don't you rest some more? Dirk and I have things handled right now. And, Eden's sleeping. You may as well take advantage of this." When she hesitated, he went on. "You can not take proper care of a child if you are so exhausted. Please rest." He placed a tender kiss on her forehead.

Well, if he insisted, right?

She quickly laid back down.

She couldn't argue. If she had the time to sleep, why not take advantage?

She had never been more wrong in her life...

_Oh my gosh. This chapter took FOREVER for me to publish. I am so sorry, guys! I couldn't figure out how to continue on this one. But, I finally buckled down, and did it. I know nothing really happened in this chapter, but I kind of wanted it to be a sweet one. No action. Just Kratos showing off how sweet he can be. =]_

_Anyways, the next one will be longer, and will most likely be the ending to the story. I know. I know. It seems like I've been writing on this one forever, but its gotta end sometime, right? And you never know...I might write up a sequel. =P_

_Please leave me some feedback! WOOT!_


	27. Psychotic Intentions

_Bam! Back with another chapter. All right. So, its not ending just yet. Had a few more ideas, and this chapter is to show you how much of a freak Yggdrassil is. _

_Anyway, loving the comments on this story! You guys rock. Like seriously! And I encourage you to keep reviewing to let me know how I'm doing!_

_Disclaimer-I don't own Tales of Symphonia. If I did, Raine and Kratos would've gotten together, danget! __

"Kratos! Come quick!"

Raine's eyes fluttered open at the sounds of the two men bustling about Dirk's house. What was going on? And why had Dirk sounded so urgent?

Upon further wakening, she found both Kratos and Dirk beginning to pull the dining table to hit against the door. "What's going on?" She heard herself ask.

Kratos's crimson eyes were the first to match her crystal ones. He seemed to ponder whether or not to answer her. Finally, it seemed he chose to as he opened his mouth to speak. "It appears we have company."

Oh no. That didn't sound like good news. Her gaze flashed to her sleeping daughter first. Good. At least Eden was safe. For now. She immediately rose from the bed, and flitted over to one of the windows.

What she found chilled her blood. Hundreds of angels were appearing from the sky, wielding various weapons. She quickly turned away. What were they going to do? She was in no condition to fight just yet. Her body still ached from childbirth, and Kratos and Dirk, no matter how powerful, would not be able to hold the enemy off for long.

Kratos seemed to notice her horrified expression, for he strode over to her, and placed a hand on her cheek in an attempt to comfort her. "All will be well, Raine. Do not worry. We shall find a way to protect Eden."

Raine could only nod. How? How were they going to keep Yggdrassil from getting to her daughter?

Kratos placed a small kiss on her forehead, then turned back to help Dirk move more furniture to barricade the door. Did they really think that was going to work? A few boards here and there were not going to stop armed angels. They would bash in here regardless.

"Wh-what are we going to do?" She finally asked, her voice sounding rather small, even to her.

"We're goin' to keep them from gettin' Eden anyway we can." Dirk answered, peeking out another window.

"How?" Raine began. She just had to voice her concerns. She needed legitimate answers to even begin feeling remotely safe. "They're going to get past all that stuff."

"Then Dirk and I will fight them off for as long as we can. While doing so, you will run with Eden. Remain hidden as best you can."

"No."

Both pairs of eyes met hers, startled at her outburst.

"Raine...be reasonable..." Came Dirk's soft baritone.

"No! I'm not going to run away while you both get hurt on my behalf. And what happens when you can't fight any longer? They'll come after me, and find Eden. No...there has to be a better plan..." The half elf trailed off, placing a hand to her chin. There had to be a better way, right? And this would've been much more simple if her body wasn't racked with pain.

She quickly returned to the bed, seating herself once more, while clutching her abdomen.

"Are you all right, Raine?" Kratos asked, taking a step towards her.

"Yeah. Just a little uncomfortable..." Lie. She was in so much pain, she could hardly stand it. She hadn't noticed just how much of a strain her body had been put under due to the immense exhaustion that had outweighed pain.

She began to lay back when she felt her back hit something hard behind her. What the-?

"Raine!" Kratos shouted, his eyes widening.

At his expression, she froze, and immediately felt a pair of arms snake around her waist. "Wh-what?"

She felt hot breath hit the base of her neck, as Yggdrassil's satin voice flowed into her ear. "Hello, Raine...miss me?" He paused as she felt his tongue stroke her cheek.

Kratos took a step forward, unsheathing his sword. "Ah, Kratos. Take anothdr step forward, and I'll cut her head off."

She watched as the crimson-haired man halted in his tracks, his helpless gaze meeting her face.

She felt as Yggdrassil leaned closer to her. "All right, Raine. Will you, and our child come willingly, or will I have to kill one of these fools before you to make you come?"

She remained still, unwilling to even take a breath. What did he need **her **for? Hadn't he just used her for Eden?

Slowly, she nodded her head. "I-I'll come..."

She imagined as his lips curved into a perfect smirk. "Wonderful. Go and grab the baby, then come straight back to me."

She nodded again, rising from the bed. Everything seemed to go by in slow motion, as she made her way over to the crib. Lifting Eden into her arms, she held the small frame to her tight. She was amazed the little girl hadn't woken yet.

"Raine...don't..." She heard Kratos plead as she walked back over to where Yggdrassil now stood.

She turned her head to find him, a tear rolling down her cheek as she answered him. "Kratos, I have to. I couldn't bear it if you died because of me." And with that, she crossed over to the blonde man, and felt as he grasped onto her once again.

The next thing she found before her eyes was the familiar sight of Derris Kharlan. Yggdrassil led her along until they came to a large building.

Her eyes traced the structure of the massive castle, and it seemed to be built of rather strong stone. No way she was getting out of here alive...

He led her inside. It wasn't until they reached a room with a large wooden table, that he spoke to her. After gesturing for her to have a seat, as he took one, he grinned at her.

"So, I see we had a daughter. She's beautiful."

Raine could feel her stomach turn as his blue eyes found the bundle in her arms. "I understand why you wanted Eden, but why did you have me come as well? Aren't you done with me?"

The blonde man's smile faltered, seeming to be taken aback by this accusation. "Why ever would you think that? Eden isn't the only reason I wanted you." She watched as he reached out, and tucked a lock of silver hair behind her ear. She instantly regretted having to sit next to him. "You're a powerful half elf, Raine. I want to make you my bride."

The half elf felt as her mouth involuntarily fell agape. This man before her was sick. Even sicker than she had originally thought. He wanted to marry her? He had raped her, gotten her pregnant, and now he planned on marrying her? This was too much...

"By the way," She heard his voice ring out once more. "I do love the name Eden. You picked a wonderful name for our daughter."

Anger boiled inside Raine, turning her insides, and making her feel even more nautious at having to be in the same room as Yggdrassil. However, she held her tongue. People's lives she cared deeply for were on the line here. She could not, and would not let her temper be the cause of their untimely deaths.

"We can be a family." He continued on. "Have another child perhaps. Hopefully a boy, so he can continue on with my work.

Oh hell no. She would **never **let that happen. He was even crazier than she had pinned him for previous. She was not going to have another child with him. Especially not one that would carry on in his demented plan to turn everyone into lifeless beings.

"No." She jumped slightly as her definitive response. Damn! She had been meaning to keep quiet. She watched as Yggdrassil's grin fell, replaced by a look of confusion.

"What do you mean, 'no'?"

All right. She needed to think fast. How could she dig herself out of this one? Aha. She had it. "I mean...let's at least wait a few years...focus on raising Eden..." She felt bile rise in her throat at this statement.

He continued staring at her in a questionable way, until finally, he smiled again. "I'll think about it." He paused, staring at her in a way that made Raine want to melt into the tile flooring. "I believe you need your rest, as do I. How about I show you to your room?"

She felt head bob in a forced nod.

Once she was in her bedroom, she placed Eden into a crib Yggdrassil had placed inside upon her urging.

What was she going to do? She wished desperately to be with Kratos at this very moment, and now the thought of perhaps never seeing the man again tugged at her heart. This was awful. But she needed to protect him for once. And if this was the only way to keep him safe, so be it. She'd ensure his safety, like he had for her countless times.

Another tear trailed down her pale face as she laid back in the large bed. A long, sleepless night awaited her...

_Dang! Yggdrassil's creep'n! _

_He's just lonely, and whatnot since he's a freak, and no one wants him...sad. _

_Hope you guys liked it! There's more coming your way soon! Keep checking back!_


	28. The Wedding

_Hey, guys! Back with another chapter! I know it took a while, but I finally made it! _

_Anyway, let's get on with it!_

_Disclaimer-I don't own Tales of Symphonia._

_ENJOY, BEASTS! =P (I mean that in the most loving way possible.)_

_..._

The next few weeks dragged on in utter horror for the young half elf. She had forced herself to remain pleasant during the days when Yggdrassil asked of her presence. And almost every night, she cried herself to sleep from the agony.

Is this how her life would be from now on? In constant misery? Having to force a happy exterior every time her now 'fiance' was around?

The only good thing that had come from this mess was Eden. At least she still had her daughter to keep her company.

Luckily, she had gotten the deranged Cruxis leader to agree to waiting a few years to have another child. But, in turn, he had decided to move the date of their wedding up. Raine only had a few more days until the dreaded ceremony. And as if that wasn't bad enough, Yggdrassil reminded her of it every hour of every day. It sickened her beyond reason.

Raine now even had to suffer the unpleasantries of acting as a real girlfriend to the man. He would force his lips upon hers, and it was all she could do to keep the bile in her throat.

And yet, she still forced that same smile upon her face. She wished for nothing more than to shout the obsinities that pounded through her head all day at the blonde. But yet, she knew if she would, Kratos would die.

Finally, the day of the wedding had arrived. The personal maid Yggdrassil had assigned her, had decided to wake her up in the manner of yanking the sheets from her massive bed.

"Agh!" Raine screeched, as her leg that had become tangled in the fabrics, followed. Her reflexes reacted rather quickly, allowing her to grasp onto the mattress to not fall from the bed.

When she was secure, the young woman glared dangerously in the direction of the angel.

Her dead eyes met Raine's as she merely bowed her head. "Sorry, Miss." And floated from the room. Somehow, that apology seemed to piss Raine off even more.

"Yeah. Thanks..." She muttered, slowly rising from the bed. Her crystal eyes searched the massive room. And then she found the atrocity hanging from her wardrobe. The wedding dress. The hideous, ruffled wedding dress Yggdrassil had had made for this day. It was so frilly and disgusting, it only added to the day's displeasure.

She knew Linda, her maid, was waiting right outside the door for her to shower. And then, the preparations would begin.

After taking her time, the young woman stepped out from behind the shower curtain. She might've jumped at what she found waiting for her, if she wasn't used to it by now.

There Linda stood, the same blank look on her face. Raine instinctively wrapped the towel already around her, even tighter.

"Are you ready, Miss Raine?"

Raine forced herself from rolling her eyes at the angel. Did Yggdrassil have to give her the most soulless maid ever? "Yes. Just let me pull my robe on."

Linda merely nodded, turning to face away from the half elf. At this cue, Raine pulled the blue robe on, the color almost a mirror of her eyes. Once she had tied it securely around her waist, she opened her mouth to speak. "All right. I'm ready."

Linda led her down the hall, into another, more intimate looking room. Inside the pale-painted interior, she found a small vanity coated with brushes, makeup, combs, and dozens of accessories. Apparently, Yggdrassil wanted his bride to look her best.

Hours passed by as Linda coated makeup on her pale face, and tied half of her hair up, flowers decorating her silver hair.

"All right, Miss Raine, its time to put your dress on."

The red-haired woman held up the white monstrosity that she had grabbed from Raine's room.

Once she was draped in the frilly fabric, Raine took a look at herself in the mirror of the vanity.

On the positive side, Linda sure was a miracle worker. She looked radiant, even to herself. If only the dress hadn't ruined it. Pink bows cinched at the bottom, almost giving it the feel of a mattress. God, Raine hated that dress.

The time had come to make their way to the ballroom. Why did it seem as though today was flying by?

She wondered for a moment why they were even having a ceremony. The only guests would be the lifeless angels in the Cruxis leader's army. Which, oddly enough, one was acting as the priest.

As she strode down the makeshift aisle, she found her gaze floating to the floor. No way could she meet the over-ecstatic blonde's face.

Once she had made it up to where Yggdrassil stood, she gained the courage to meet his eyes. The grin on his face was enough to turn her stomach.

The angel drabbled on for what seemed like hours. All Raine wanted to do at that moment was to be done with this disgusting ceremony.

Finally, the "priest" came to the question that sparked Raine's attention once more.

"Does anyone here have any reason for these two not to be wed."

Raine could feel her vocal chords vibrate at the chance. She wanted desperately to shriek that she did. However, she remained silent. That would defeat the whole purpose of her being here.

Her head bowed, trying to conceal the tear falling down her cheek.

Until...

"I do."

Raine's eyes snapped up. Gasps rang throughout the expansive room, as a certain crimson-haired man appeared.

And that was the first time in a month, Raine felt hope...

...

_Sweet mother! Finally, some hope for Raine! _

_Will Kratos be able to save her? Or will she be forced to marry Yggdrassil?_

_FIND OUT NEXT CHAPPIE!_


	29. Epic Conclusion

_Here it is! The epic conclusion to Angel of Mine! It took forever, and I feel like I wrote a book on here!_

_But I'm glad I did. This story's kind of become one of my favorites. _

_Anyway, enough waiting! On with it!_

_Disclaimer-I don't own Tales of Symphonia...though I feel like after this story, I kinda should own some...SO LONNNGGG!_

...

Raine's eyes lit up, and for the first time in weeks, she felt hopeful.

Kratos was here. He was finally going to take her away from this awful place. Her and Eden. And they would finally be able to live as a family. Just like he had promised her...

But that hope soon turned to fear. Kratos was gravely outnumbered.

Every head in the room seemed to turn as the man shouted his opposal. "I do!"

Raine's eyes shifted to find that Yggdrassil looked utterly furious at his former mentor's appearance. He had already turned in the direction of the angels seated in their seats. All had turned back to face him, awaiting their orders.

Then, he spoke the words Raine had been dreading to hear. "Kill him."

Every angel rose from their seats, extracting the weapons they still had with them.

"Kratos! Run!" Raine shrieked.

She could see from her peripheral vision that Yggdrassil was glaring directly at her from the outburst. But she didn't care. Her ruse was over.

"Angel Feathers!"

Millions of multi-colored feathers appeared, racing through the hall, and tackling dozens of angels to the floor. Some already appeared to have been injured, blood staining the tiles.

Raine knew that voice...

"Good job, Colette!" Oh no...that sounded like Genis...

"Demon fang!" Another voice announced. That, was of course Lloyd. Soon, her former group appeared in the hall, weapons in hand, at the ready. All right. At least hundreds on 8 didn't seem **as **bad. But this was still too dangerous.

If Yggdrassil had been furious before, now he was livid. Raine was sure from the shade of red on his face, he was at the ready to explode. "What are you doing? Get up, and rid my palace of those intruders!"

Even though some of his army were already injured, they rose once more, apparently at the ready to die for their leader's cause. It sickened Raine beyond words.

The half elf had had enough. She would join in the fight. She quickly tore at pieces of her dress, trying to rid it of the extra fabric that slowed her down. Once she was able to move freely enough, Raine closed her eyes, and began to chant.

However, she felt as energy slowly enveloped her.

"Holy Lance!"

Raine's eyes flew open just in time to see the light appear. At first, she only felt warmth. Then, the pain hit her like a wave, crushing her insides.

"Ah!" She cried out, falling to her knees as dozens of beams shot at her, piercing her body.

"Raine!" Genis and Kratos had seemed to yell her name at the same time...or she was in so much pain, their voices seemed to run together. Either way, she had no clue. And quite frankly, at this point, she didn't care.

She looked up to find Yggdrassil glaring downwards at her. "Foolish, Raine. I offered you a chance to be great. And here, you betray me." A smirk appeared on his features, causing Raine to flinch. "But don't worry. I'll be able to raise Eden on my own. She doesn't need a pathetic mother like you."

As if this wasn't insult enough, the man raised a foot over Raine's abdomen. And before she could react, he had stomped on her.

Pain washed over her, and she was sure from the force, he had cracked a rib.

Oh well...it didn't matter. Once he turned away, she would heal herself. Then, this awful pain would be gone...

Her hope soon dwindled as her eyes found that the smirk on the blonde's face widened, and then his foot was in her side. This continued to quite some time. He continued to kick at her, even going so far as to aim at her face.

Blood rushed throughout her mouth, causing her to choke.

"S-stop this...you bastard..." She managed to sputter out, spitting some of the blood from lips.

Yggdrassil laughed in response. Raine listened as her friends shouted her name, clearly concerned. But she knew they wouldn't be able to make it. The angels were putting up quite a fight from the sounds of the struggling behind her.

The man before her, finally spoke up once more. "You know, Raine, you always **were **rather feisty. Something I liked about you." He paused, kneeling down, and tucking a lock of silver hair behind her ear. "Too bad I won't be able to witness it much longer."

She watched as he closed his eyes, beginning to chant another spell. Her vision was blurring, almost distracting her from the words he spoke.

Even through that, she knew this would be the spell to finish her. She shut her eyes, unwilling to watch her own demise fold out.

She listened on as he continued. But, for some reason, Yggdrassil ceased in his chanting. Why wasn't he finishing her off?

"Get away from her!" Kratos's voice sounded much closer now. What was going on? Raine chanced a glance to find that Kratos had somehow made it through Yggdrassil's army, and had pinned the man in question to the wall, his sword at his neck, threatening to slice through it.

The smile remained on the pale man's features, causing unease to flow throughout the young woman's body. But she knew this was her chance. Raine immediately began to chant a healing spell.

Little by little, she could feel her ribs slowly healing, as well as the many cuts she had endoured.

She willed herself to heal quicker, watching as Yggdrassil launched a photon on Kratos. The crimson-haired man had already taken quite the beating. That was evident. It didn't look as though he could take much more.

Luckily, when Raine felt well enough, she remained on the floor. She didn't have the time to raise her body. Besides, she worried Yggdrassil would notice she was well again. The half elf chanted away. First, she granted Kratos a healing spell.

Then, she quickly turned on Yggdrassil. "Photon!" She screeched, as if the extra vocal emphasis would cause the man more pain.

One good thing about Kratos, he seemed to read her mind at times. Especially in battle. For he struck at the exact moment her photon was at its strongest. He added a hell pyre, which seemed to deal some damage to the Cruxis leader.

He visibly shrunk from the blow. "Damn you!"

Raine ignored him, returning to her spells.

She wished desperately for a moment to know if her brother was all right. But she knew she needed to focus. There was no time to ensure he was safe right now, as much as she hated it.

She sent spell, after spell. And though Yggdrassil was formidable, and he was still seeming to deal quite the damage to Kratos, he was beginning to slow down.

And, to the woman's joy, she found Lloyd had soon joined his father, adding to the offensive. With their combined power, Yggdrassil was definitely weakening. His spells were becoming rather clumsy, and wounds coated his body.

And though this was good news, Raine could feel the spells taking a toll on her. She was amazed she was lasting this long. She knew she had a limit. She just prayed she didn't find it.

Eventually, the angels had all been defeated, and everyone had focused their attention on Yggdrassil.

And, unsurprisingly, Lloyd dealt the final blow.

Yggdrassil fell with a thud, clutching his bleeding side. Blood coated his once white clothes, obscuring the makeshift suit.

"You...insignificant beings...all I ever wished...for...was to have a...family...And of course, you had to get in my way."

When Raine had made her way over to the rest of the group, Yggdrassil glared hard at her. "And you...you filthy whore...I can't believe you would turn on me...the father of your daughter..."

Raine stole a glance in Kratos's direction. The man's face visibly paled at the mentioning. Raine was sure she looked just as nauseous. Did he have to constantly remind her of her pain?

"I will continue to cling to my ideals...I will never let that go...even if my body disappears...my soul will live on."

No one spoke. And from the expressions on everyone's faces, Raine knew they felt pity for the man. He had never been shown love. And, this had been the result.

Blue eyes met crimson as Yggdrassil turned his attention to Lloyd. "Destroy my Cruxis Crystal. Derris Kharlan will cease drifting away."

For once, Lloyd didn't seem willing to argue. He merely nodded. "All right..."

Genis seemed the most upset, as Yggdrassil morphed into the younger version, Mithos. He had been the one closest to him, for a while. When the world seemed much simpler...and they hadn't been privy to the knowledge Mithos was the same as their enemy.

"Mithos!" The small half elf cried.

Mithos merely grunted, his gaze drifting to the boy. And, for a moment, Raine could've sworn she saw him smile at her brother. And then, his body began to fade, becoming transparent. Then, all that remained was the small red jewel of his cruxis crystal.

Lloyd seemed hesitant at first, raising one of his twin blades.

And it was with Genis's urging that he finally sliced through it.

It was finally over...Yggdrassil was finally out of the picture. And for once, Raine could feel her body relax. She slowly slumped to the floor, still weak from the energy had lost, but moreso relieved.

Kratos rushed over, placing a hand on her shoulder, and kneeling next to her. "Are you all right?"

Raine slowly nodded. "Y-Yes."

"I'm glad you're safe, Raine." She slowly turned to find Regal smiling at her. Though they had just witnessed a rather sad event, and it had obviously brought down everyone's morale, they all smiled at her.

And at that moment, Raine knew she would be safe...things would finally be simple for the young half elf.

...

A year had passed, and just like Kratos had promised, he, Raine, and Eden were now joined as a family. And, Genis of course.

The two worlds had merged, and though trouble had risen at times for half elves, life seemed to remain peaceful.

The half elf had returned to the village of Iselia, the town revoked Lloyd's, and Genis's status of banished. And, Raine had gone back to her postition as teacher.

Lloyd, Colette, and Genis had all graduated from her class. Of course Genis had skipped a few grades. And somehow, he and Colette had motivated the hard-headed twin swordsman to hit the books enough to pass his last exam.

And he was ecstatic.

Kratos, with Raine's urging had finally told the boy he was his real father. And while at first, the boy hadn't accepted him, which wasn't shocking at the least, he had finally come around after some time. Though, he still insisted Dirk was his father as well.

Regal and Presea now co-owned Regal's company, and the king had revoked his status as a murderer. Though Presea no longer mentioned Alicia's killing, it was clear it would take time for the small girl to fully forgive the noble.

Sheena and Zelos had been traveling the world, making peace in the cities of the former world of Sylvarant. Before they had left, Raine was sure they would return as a couple. The two were obviously in love. Now, they just had to wait for one to have the guts to admit it.

Genis was now studying at the school in Sybak. He hadn't been recquired to, but the boy, just like his sister yearned for more knowledge. He frequently wrote to Presea, and sometimes, they would visit each other. It was definitely an adorable little relationship they had stumbled into.

Lloyd had finally been clued into Colette's obvious feelings for him. And of course, the boy didn't know how to react at first. Which had caused the blonde girl dismay. But, eventually, they had slowly moved into a romance all their own. Though, neither were mature enough for anything serious.

It seemed their travels had been a matchmaking. Even now Raine found it amusing.

As it stood now, the young woman lay in her bed, reading a novel. Eden was in her crib, sound asleep, adding to Raine's joy. This was to be a peaceful night.

Kratos was at her side, momentarily turned away as he sharpened his sword. When he had finished, he set the blade down, resting his back against the head board.

When his hand met the slight bulge of her abdomen, Raine smiled. "I wonder sometimes what you're thinking when you do that." Her eyes met his, a small smile on her face.

Kratos matched her grin. He paused, seeming to ponder her statement.

When Raine had first confessed her pregnancy to the man, she could tell he was hesitant at the idea. He had just told Lloyd about their family tie. Now, here he was, about to become a father once more.

Now that she was six months along, he had had time to get used to the idea. But sometimes, Raine wondered if he still regretted this child.

But now, this genuine smile of his showed his true happiness.

"I just wonder how things seemed to fall right in place...After Anna died, I never saw myself as the family type again. Now, here I sit...with you."

Raine had to admit. She agreed. She never imagined for things to end up this way. But she was glad they had...

Kratos's eyes floated over to the sleeping Eden, and Raine could tell from the sly grin on his face what he was thinking.

"Would you like to have some alone time? Eden's fast asleep, and Genis is away for the night. We should take advantage."

Raine set her book to the side, staring back at the former mercenary. "You do seem to have the perfect timing...as always."

She watched as he leaned in close, and felt as his lips touched hers. His hand remained on her stomach, petting it, as if to keep the baby inside still.

This...was heaven...

Raine felt as her body molded with that of her lover's.

This was what fairy tales were made of...

This...Raine's happy ending...

...

_I know! I finally finished it! It seemed to take forever, and I'm kind of sad in a way. And I'm sorry if this chapter seemed rushed, but I knew I needed to get to the conclusion. ENOUGH OF THE AWFUL CLIFF HANGERS! =P_

_I really hope you guys enjoyed this. And I'm so happy with all of the reviews I've gotten. I really appreciate that you guys kept reading this long as hell story..._

_You guys rule fo sho! _

_Well, ya never know...there might be a sequel...=P_

_=]_


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